spacetoday.net: Senate committees approve NASA bills

Posted: Fri, Jun 24, 2005, 7:37 AM ET (1137 GMT)
US Capitol

Two Senate committees approved Thursday authorization and appropriations bills for NASA. The Senate Appropriations Committee, on a unanimous vote, passed an appropriations bill that includes, in part, $16.4 billion for NASA in fiscal year 2006. The full committee made few, if any, changes to the version of the budget bill that an appropriations committee passed earlier this week. The Senate Commerce Committee, in a separate hearing, passed unanimously a NASA authorization bill that helps set policy for the space agency. The authorization bill, with covers funding levels for fiscal years 2006 through 2010, includes provisions that require NASA to complete the assembly of the ISS and keep the shuttle operating until a successor vehicle is completed. The House Science Committee is expected to take up a similar authorization bill as soon as next week.