Kit Bond: “the amendment would correct an oversight in the bill before us. In last year's conference report, we provided $45…”

“the amendment would correct an oversight in the bill before us. In last year's conference report, we provided $45 million for the commercial mid-deck augmentation module [CMAM], or spacehab, which was a reduction of $21.5 million from the requested amount. In making the cut, the conferees made clear that we were aware that the CMAM Program could face difficult financial and technical adjustments due to the lower funding level. To address that problem, we made clear that we intended to provide additional funding in a supplemental appropriations bill this year. Let me quote directly from the conference report: The conferees have agreed, therefore, after further consultations with NASA, to include an advanced fiscal year 1995 appropriation of $40,000,000 in a 1994 supplemental bill. This amendment would simply fulfill that commitment. I would point out that it is critical that we live up to our commitments on this program. Spacehab is financed in large part by private bank loans. As a result of the cut in last year's budget, those loans had to be restructured, and the restructuring was undertaken based on the language in the conference report. Failing to provide this funding will not only drive the spacehab company into financial difficulty and possible default, it would deprive the U.S. space program of an important tool.”