Pushback in House as Group Attempts to Delay Vote on NASA Funding

Commercial Space Advocates Rally To Stall NASA Authorization Bill
Space.com

A flurry of behind-the-scenes maneuvering took place late July 28 as opponents of a NASA authorization bill fought back efforts by leaders of the U.S. House Science and Technology Committee to bring the measure to a floor vote before lawmakers break for the summer district work period that begins Aug. 2.

House aides and political observers said Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), who chairs the panel, is expected to meet with aggrieved lawmakers July 29 to address concerns with key elements of the measure, a three-year authorization that seeks to gut a a multibillion dollar White House initiative to foster development of commercial crew taxis.

House sources said July 28 that a floor vote on the NASA authorization could come as early as July 29, but opponents of the bill — primarily commercial space advocates — were successful in stalling the measure, which now is unlikely to be considered before July 30, sources said. Gordon is seeking to bring the measure to the House floor under suspension of the rules, a procedural tactic that prevents amendments to a bill during limited floor debate and which requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass.

Commercial space advocates are working to kill the bill. For example, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company eager to fly NASA astronauts to the international space station aboard its Falcon 9-launched Dragon capsule, is e-mailing supporters to urge their lawmakers to vote no on H.R. 5781.

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