Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I support a space station that is fully functioning, and in order to achieve that goal, NASA must work within the budget…”

“I support a space station that is fully functioning, and in order to achieve that goal, NASA must work within the budget that Congress has given it. At the same time, I understand the difficulty in estimating the costs of such an amazing engineering feat. We are now within a year of the station being ``core complete,'' and I believe Congress must adequately fund the station so that we can begin to see the benefits of its unique scientific research. NASA's projected 5-year cost growth of over $4 billion includes many program liens that reflect 2 years of actual operational experience for the station. That on-orbit experience has eliminated many unknowns and has significantly enhanced NASA's awareness of what it takes to operate the space station. Unfortunately, the greater awareness has come a price tag that threatens reaching the full capability of the space station as originally planned in terms of research, a permanent crew of six, and a crew rescue vehicle.”