Jim Sensenbrenner: “I rise in opposition to the Gutierrez amendment. The measure will nickel and dime NASA to death. This amendment cuts $5…”

“I rise in opposition to the Gutierrez amendment. The measure will nickel and dime NASA to death. This amendment cuts $5 million out of NASA's Human Spaceflight programs to fund the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Brownfields Redevelopment program. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez cuts $20 million out of Science, Aeronautics and Technology and $5 million out of Mission Support to fund other HUD programs. When taken together, these amendments would cut NASA's budget by $30 million. These amendments take money out of our investments in science and technology, which will benefit future generations, and put that money into current consumption. In short, the amendments are akin to eating our seed corn. The bill already underfunds NASA. These amendments will worsen NASA's ends-means mismatch since they do not reduce any of NASA's programmatic responsibilities. Mr. Chairman, the country's elected officials can't keep asking the space program to do more with less. That makes no sense. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Gutierrez amendments.”