WASHINGTON — The House voted today to take $298 million away from NASA and spend it on local policing.
The vote was 228-203. Reps. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, and Sandy Adams, R-Orlando, opposed the switch, an amendment to a stopgap spending bill that would keep the government running for the rest of this fiscal year.
The debate over the amendment drafted by Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York illustrates the difficulties that lie ahead in deciding how much to spend on NASA and other agencies.
Weiner’s amendment would eliminate a fund that NASA taps to work with other agencies and use the money to hire more community-oriented police officers.
The amendment angered NASA supporters. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., said that if it’s approved by the Senate and signed into law, it would cost 1,500 to 2,000 NASA jobs.
Wednesday’s vote is an example of the challenges lawmakers face in deciding which priorities to approve while making wide-ranging budget cuts.
The House is expected to vote Thursday on the overall spending bill, which would cut spending on NASA by $303 million.
President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the bill over cuts that he said would “sharply undermine core government functions and investments key to economic growth and job creation."
The Senate and House have until March 4, when a current stopgap sending bill expires, to agree on spending through Sept. 30. Otherwise, the government could shut down.
By Bart Jansen, Gannett Washington Bureau, bjansen@gannett.com.
Space news and analysis from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral 
1 comment:
I say Bring 1/2 the Troops back ... the hell with being the International Cops and Saviors... Let other countries blow their money if they want... There's another way to save Money!!!
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