H.R. 6063 was introduced on May 15, 2008 by Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall (D-CO) and passed the House Science and Technology Committee unanimously on June 4, 2008. This bipartisan legislation was originally cosponsored by the Science and Technology Committee's Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom Feeney (R-FL).

"The bipartisan consensus we have reached on H.R. 6063 signals that Congress believes a balanced NASA program of science, aeronautics, and human spaceflight and exploration is important and worthy of the nation's support," said Gordon. "Yet, I want to emphasize that H.R. 6063 takes a fiscally-responsible approach to providing that support."

"This bill passed the Committee on Science and Technology and the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics with unanimous support. It represents a strong bipartisan effort to ensure our continued leadership in space and aeronautics and to ensure that NASA's programs contribute to our science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education efforts, to the nation's innovation agenda, and to practical benefits for our citizens," said Udall.

"By increasing our investment in NASA, we are putting the United States on a course to remain a world leader in innovation and economic competitiveness," said Subcommittee Vice Chairman Melancon (D-LA). "The discoveries and advancements made by NASA research ripple through many sectors of our economy, moving our nation forward and benefiting all Americans."

H.R. 6063 emphasizes the importance of NASA leadership in Earth observations and research, as well as aeronautics R and D to address critical national needs. This bill reaffirms that NASA should remain a multi-mission agency with a balanced portfolio and encompasses recommendations from the 16 hearings the Committee held throughout this Congress to review the many components of NASA's program.

This legislation authorizes $20.21 billion for NASA's Fiscal Year 2009 budget. Of the total amount, the baseline authorization of $19.21 billion will go to support science, aeronautics, exploration, education, space operations, inspector general, and cross-agency support.

The baseline authorization represents only an inflationary increase of 2.8 percent over the FY 2008 authorization enacted in the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. The additional $1 billon is to accelerate the development of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), which will replace the current Space Shuttle.

The additional funding will help narrow the projected five-year gap in the ability of the U.S. to get its astronauts into space after the Shuttle is retired.

"NASA has accomplished a great deal in both space and aeronautical R and D over the past five decades, and we can all take pride in what has been accomplished. However, we cannot become complacent," added Udall.

"The testimony and constructive input of countless hearing witnesses, outside experts, and organizations that led to H.R. 6063 conveyed a consistent message: that NASA has not been given the funding it needs to successfully carry out all of the important tasks that the nation has asked of it. If we fail to invest adequately in NASA now, it is unlikely that we will see a comparable record of accomplishment over the next five decades-at a great opportunity cost to the nation."

Now H.R. 6063 will be sent to the Senate for further consideration.

HOUSE Passes Bill To Reauthorize Wide Array Of NASA Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 18, 2008 - With broad support, the House of Representatives have passed H.R. 6063, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008, authorizing programs at NASA for fiscal year 2009 (FY09). The bill passed the House by a vote of 409 to 15.

"This bill is meant to reaffirm Congress' unwavering support for NASA, so as to remove any doubt the next Administration may have about Congress' commitment to NASA's programs and policies," said Science and Technology Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX).

"But by being a one-year bill, it is also designed to not tie the hands of the next Administration to a long-term strategy. To the contrary, H.R. 6063 is designed to give the next President an opportunity to work with the next Congress to fashion a long-term strategy that is consistent with the Administration's desires, as well as Congress'."

H.R. 6063 authorizes $20.21 billion in funding, which includes $1 billion in additional funding to accelerate development of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV).

The Constellation system, which includes development of both the CEV and CLV, will provide our country with a modern, more robust, and safer manned spaceflight capability that will enable U.S. astronauts to fly beyond low earth orbit, an ability NASA has not had since the retirement of Apollo over 30 years ago.

The bill also provides for a balanced set of programs in human spaceflight and exploration, aeronautics research and development, and space science research.

One of the bill's cosponsors, Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom Feeney (R-FL) said, "Considerable care has been devoted to all elements of NASA's portfolio -- human spaceflight, earth and space sciences, and aeronautics. I look forward to continued success and excellence in all of these endeavors because each success sustains America's technical prowess and brings great prestige to the American people."

H.R. 6063 also directs NASA to include two contingency missions to the International Space Station (ISS) to be part of the baseline shuttle flight manifest, and adds an additional flight to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the ISS. The AMS is an experiment managed by the Department of Energy to study charged particles in Cosmic rays before they are absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere.

The AMS, once installed on the ISS will be the first experiment capable of accurately measuring charged cosmic rays, and is expected to increase scientists' fundamental understanding of dark matter which makes up about 20 percent of the universe.

NASA agreed in 1995 to fly the AMS to the Space Station, but the mission was subsequently dropped after the Columbia accident, when NASA decided to retire the Shuttle upon completion of the ISS. Approximately $1.6 billion has been spent on the AMS thus far, and has been an international collaboration of 16 countries, 57 institutes and 500 physicists. The AMS is substantially complete and ready to fly.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of NASA and the dawn of the U.S. space program. The NASA Authorization Act of 2005 provided policy and programmatic guidance for NASA, and the bipartisan bill passed reaffirms congressional priorities and policies.

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