Dale Bumpers: “I hardly know what else to say about this. The figures I am using are the figures that NASA says they can build and…”

“I hardly know what else to say about this. The figures I am using are the figures that NASA says they can build and operate it for. Now, it is obvious from the GAO report that came out this morning that these costs are beginning to get out of control. There is a shifting from one account to another. There is even shifting from nonspace station programs to space station programs. All I am trying to do is to say, let's get it under control. There is not anything, frankly, written in stone about a cost cap amendment. Next year, if NASA comes in and says we are down $1 billion, we will certainly give it to them, if I am any judge of what is going to happen around here in the future with the space station. But here is what the GAO report said this morning, Mr. President: NASA's actions to reinforce its financial reserves and keep the program within its funding limitations has in some cases involved redefining a portion of the program subject to the limitations. Such actions make the value of the current limitations as a funding control mechanism questionable. Therefore, we proposed that the NASA administrator, with the concurrence of the Office of Management and Budget, direct the space station to discontinue the use of the current funding limitations.”