Space Leadership Preservation Act To Get Hearing Next Week

The Space Subcommittee of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee has scheduled a hearing next week on the Space Leadership Preservation Act, a bill introduced in the 112th Congress by Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) and Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) among others.

Then-full committee chairman Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) reportedly promised his colleagues he would hold a hearing on the legislation and the promise is being kept by his successor as chairman, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX).  The hearing is at 10:00 am on February 27 in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building.  Witnesses have not been announced.

When they introduced the bill last year, Culberson and Wolf said the intent of the bill is to depoliticize NASA by making the NASA Administrator a 10-year appointed position and creating a Board of Directors similar to the National Science Board that governs the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The NSF Director has a 6-year appointed term. The proposed new NASA board would, among other things, recommend candidates for the NASA Administrator, Deputy Administrator and Chief Financial Officer.