September 21, 2012

Support the New Bill to Reform NASA

US Capitol Press Conference Announcing
Introduction of NASA Reform Bill
Credit: Art Harman
The Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration endorses the new "Space Leadership Preservation Act," H.R. 6491, which will reform NASA in important ways.

Many of the issues this Congressional bill addresses have been discussed amongst space advocates for years; now it's all put together into one bill which can become law with our support.

Key points include a 10-year Administrator term, multi-year budgeting for long-term projects; and a board of directors to propose budgets and recommend Administrator candidates.

Bill Summary:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:hr6491:/
Details:
http://wolf.house.gov/press-releases/wolf-cosponsors-bill-to-boost-american-competitiveness-in-space-exploration/
Bill text:
http://wolf.house.gov/uploads/Space_Leadership_Act.pdf
Graphic of $20 billion in cancelled projects over 20 years--many of which could have been completed with better management practices:
http://wolf.house.gov/uploads/SpaceLeadershipAct....pdf

The Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration endorses this bill as a high priority. The most important ways YOU can support this now are to
  1. Call your Representative and ask they cosponsor HR 6491, the Space Leadership Preservation Act. 202-224-3121 (A Senate version should be introduced soon)
  2. Endorse the bill and broadly promote it.
  3. Urge space advocacy and government reform organizations to officially endorse the bill or at least to to inform their members of the bill.


The Space Leadership Preservation Act has been endorsed by Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon; and was introduced by Frank Wolf (VA-10), John Culberson (TX-07), Bill Posey (FL-15), Pete Olson (TX-22), James Sensenbrenner (WI-05), and Lamar Smith (TX-21). A companion bill will be introduced soon in the Senate.

Together we can help reform NASA to unleash its creative energies more free of politics and budgetary whirlwinds. Contact the Coalition or any of the cosponsoring Representatives for more information.

The Space Leadership Preservation Act, H.R.6491, now has 16 cosponsors:
Rep Burgess, Michael C. [TX-26], Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44], Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31], Rep Cuellar, Henry [TX-28], Rep Farenthold, Blake [TX-27], Rep Green, Gene [TX-29], Rep Mack, Connie [FL-14], Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10], Rep Olson, Pete [TX-22], Rep Posey, Bill [FL-15], Rep Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [WI-5], Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21], Rep Thornberry, Mac [TX-13], Rep West, Allen B. [FL-22], Rep Wittman, Robert J. [VA-1], Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10]

No comments:

Post a Comment