Sen. Hutchison: Obama Administration Footdragging Puts Jobs and Industries at Risk

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) continues to assail the Obama Administration for "foot-dragging" on its legislated requirement to build a new space launch vehicle.

In her weekly column on her website, Sen. Hutchison again blamed the Obama Administration for failing to implement the 2010 NASA Authorization Act of which she was a primarily author: "Despite overwhelming Congressional support when this legislation was approved, the Obama Administration unfortunately is dragging its feet in implementing the new law. This foot-dragging is more than just failing to carry out the law, as the Constitution requires. The Administration's delays put current and future American jobs and industries at risk, and hand over to competing nations a golden opportunity to take the global lead in technology."

After listing some of benefits of past investments in space activities broadly, not just NASA, she states: "The contributions our space program has made to science, our national security, and our economy illustrate why we can't abdicate our leadership role in the world."