House Subcommittee Markups of NASA Authorization and Appropriations Bills Next Week

The Space Subcommittee of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee plans to markup the 2013 NASA Authorization bill this coming Wednesday.  An hour later, the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee will markup the appropriations bill that funds NASA.

A draft version of the authorization bill, dated June 12, was circulated last month and the subcommittee held a hearing on it on June 19.   The version of the bill posted along with the notice of Wednesday’s markup is also dated June 12 suggesting that no changes were made.  The hearing was fairly controversial, with opposition to the bill voiced by subcommittee Democrats and at least one Republican — subcommittee vice chairman Mo Brooks (R-AL).  The two witnesses at the hearing, space scientist Steve Squyres, who chairs the NASA Advisory Council, and Tom Young, an esteemed aerospace industry veteran, expressed concerns about aspects of the bill as well.  

That markup begins at 10:00 am ET on Wednesday, July 10, in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building.

An hour later, at 11:00 am ET, the CJS subcommittee will markup its FY2014 appropriations bill, which includes NASA and NOAA.  It will meet in room H-140 of the Capitol.  House appropriators are operating under the funding levels approved in the House Budget Resolution, which protects defense spending at the expense of non-defense discretionary spending such as NASA and NOAA.