David Weldon: “I just want to explain a little to my colleagues how we got into this situation. Our staff on the committee sat down…”

“I just want to explain a little to my colleagues how we got into this situation. Our staff on the committee sat down with the NASA officials and were given figures on the amount of money they needed for the support of their staff, the full-time equivalents. Then 2 days before we went to committee markup, they came in with a whole new set of numbers and said they needed $81.5 million more. It is true that the ranking member did seek in his substitute to restore that money, and I commend him for that. But he also sought about $1.5 billion additional of spending that we did not have. It would amount to borrowing more money from our children to pay for what we are doing now. I think that was irresponsible, and his substitute was defeated in committee, as it was on the floor. Nobody on the minority side presented an amendment that would exclusively restore this account. Mr. Chairman, I have been working diligently with the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Sensenbrenner], with the full committee chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Walker], as well as with the chairman of the Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies, the gentleman from California, Mr. Jerry Lewis, to make sure these funds are restored.”