Timothy Roemer: “I rise, Mr. Speaker, with very, very strong concerns and reservations about this VA, HUD, independent agencies…”

“I rise, Mr. Speaker, with very, very strong concerns and reservations about this VA, HUD, independent agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 1998. I oppose this conference report due to funding increases for the international space station above the congressionally approved and NASA agreed to cap at $2.1 billion per year. Now that is not enough; $2.1 billion is not enough. We have to go in this bill much above that, to $2.35 billion, for the space station. Now, certainly, I have argued with my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, in this body that a $100 billion space station is too much, that we do not return the science, we do not return good science or good economics for our taxpayers. Now we are going up to a $2.35 billion per year space station, and last month the primary contractor estimated cost overruns to exceed $600 million, and NASA guessed $800 million cost overruns. This means that we have to go into other very, very worthwhile important programs, Space Shuttle safety, education grants, a host of other programs, and take money away from good NASA programs that are working to reward cost overruns. I think that we need to take a very, very careful look at this budget, Mr. Speaker, and enforce some physical discipline. We have fits around here when we have $600 toilet seats. This is a $600 million cost overrun.”