Congress
Lawmakers call for open dialogue on Chinese, Russian advances in space and nuclear weapons
The leaders of the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on strategic forces called on DoD and other agencies to more openly discuss the threats posed by China and Russia.
Pentagon deputy nominee Hicks says DoD space acquisitions deserve scrutiny
Deputy defense secretary nominee Kathleen Hicks had a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 2.
Lawmakers amp up pressure on Biden to investigate Space Command basing decision
Rep. Jim Cooper added his voice to the chorus of lawmakers demanding that the Biden administration investigate the Air Force’s decision to move Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.
U.S. Space Force acquisitions to get fresh look, lawmaker wants hearings
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) wants the Biden administration to put pressure on the Space Force to clean up its procurement act.
Omnibus spending bill gives Space Force its first separate budget
The package approved by Congress for fiscal year 2021 provides $696 billion for the Defense Department, including $15.2 billion for the U.S. Space Force.
NASA receives $23.271 billion in fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill
Congress will provide NASA with nearly $23.3 billion in the final fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill, restoring several science programs but falling far short of the funding sought for a lunar lander program.
Republicans confirm Rogers as ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) on Dec. 3 was officially selected as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee in the 117th Congress.
Space Force says it has a plan to fix gaps in weather data
Congress for years has been critical of the U.S. Air Force's weather satellite programs.
Commentary | Senate Democrats: Stand against China, protect U.S. space programs
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner argues that contracting provisions he added to a draft NASA authorization act last year would help safeguard U.S. space technology against Chinese efforts to steal it.
Congressional report refutes claim that a Space National Guard would be ‘cost neutral’
CBO estimates that standing up a Space National Guard would cost about $100 million a year.
Air Force: Report on space acquisition reforms ‘not finalized’
A report sent to Congress last week proposing changes to Space Force acquisition programs was an “initial version” and not the final product, the Air Force said.
Space agencies working on a ‘unified message’ on industry stimulus
The Space Acquisition Council is collecting data on the state of the defense supply chain.
Space Force officials defend plan to consider alternatives to a Space National Guard
DoD is taking a "clean sheet" look at how reserve components would support the U.S. Space Force
Op-ed | H.R. 5666 will launch the U.S. in the wrong direction
In his Feb. 3 SpaceNews opinion piece, Louis Friedman argues that the NASA authorization bill that recently cleared a House space subcommittee is best direction for America in space. The bill, H.R. 5666, would require the United States to abandon the moon after a flags and footprints lunar landing (while effectively preventing commercial firms from participating). We could not disagree more.
Spending bill highlights ongoing debate on Commerce Department’s role in space traffic management
Language in a fiscal year 2020 spending bill suggests that Congress is unlikely to act soon on the future of the Office of Space Commerce or the Commerce Department’s proposed role in handing civil space traffic management.
