Ken Calvert: “the manager's amendment for the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 is an important complement to the bill reported out of…”

“the manager's amendment for the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 is an important complement to the bill reported out of our committee last week. The amendment includes some technical changes, as was mentioned, as well as a number of amendments from committee members and other interested Members. We will now fully fund the President's Vision for Space Exploration, which includes the Space Shuttle's return to flight, completion of the International Space Station, and development of the new Crew Exploration Vehicle, which will allow us to return to the Moon by 2020, to Mars, and beyond. Just as our bill is a bipartisan compromise, this amendment also represents a bipartisan effort with approval of both sides of the aisle for each addition that was incorporated. Our committee also worked with the administration on several of the fundamental concepts in both the bill and the amendment. As a result, we have received the support of the administration on the bill with the changes in the manager's amendment. We all recognize that NASA is a multi-mission agency, and the committee worked to provide the rules and tools that will enable the agency to maintain the balance as we proceed into the Second Space Age. We are hoping this is the first of many NASA authorization bills over the years. It has been too long since that last authorization. We owe it to NASA and the American people to offer guidance through the authorizing process on a regular basis.…”