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Washington, D.C. - April 29, 2009 – In response to a speech given yesterday by President Barack Obama before the National Academy of Sciences, Science and Technology Committee Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX) issued the following statement:
“I am pleased to see the President is vowing to continue the great work of the Science and Technology Committee and prior administration by funding the America COMPETES Act. This bill, signed into law by President Bush, put the R&D budgets at key federal science agencies on a path to double over ten years, representing a decisive investment in the physical sciences. COMPETES also works to make America more competitive in the global economy by improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. While I fundamentally support investments in research because I believe they produce a good return for Americans, I think it is also important that we be mindful of our current budget situation and be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.
“One important topic I was disappointed the President didn’t highlight yesterday is the future of our human spaceflight program at NASA. A robust federal investment in human spaceflight will support a stronger high-tech American industrial base, strengthening our economy and solidifying our position as the world leader in space. NASA is currently on a path to retire the Space Shuttle without having developed, in a timely manner, the next generation of Constellation launch systems. In last year’s authorization, Congress established the development of the new system as a top priority. NASA has been on track and has made tremendous progress over the past four years, but now approaching a hundred days in office, we still don’t have a new NASA Administrator. I very much look forward to hearing more from the Administration on plans for NASA’s human spaceflight program, along with the details of the President’s budget request.”
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