FAA's Space Office Held to Current Funding Level by Senate Committee
The FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation did not fare much better in the Senate Appropriations Committee than it did in the House committee earlier this month.
The House Appropriations Committee cut the office’s FY2012 request of $26.6 million in half, providing only $13 million in its version of the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) bill. In its markup of the bill last week (S. 1596, S. Rept. 112-83), the Senate Appropriations Committee provided $15 million, the same level the office received for FY2011.
George Nield, director of the office, defended the substantial increase requested for FY2012 at a May hearing before the House Science, Space and Technology committee, which authorizes its activities.
Such steep increases in these budget constrained times, no matter what they are for, attract special notice in Congress. As evidenced in this case, they are difficult to justify successfully.
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