SAS Bulletin - Alert Followup Friday 9/24/10

Two relevant developments:

- One, a news item in the Orlando Sentinel says that the new version of House NASA Authorization bill HR.5781 has been informally run past the Senate, and the response was that the Senate wouldn't pass it. This means two things for us: It increases the urgency of defeating HR.5781, since it means that House passage of that version will almost certainly extend this wrangle past the election (and possibly into next year) leaving NASA adrift for months longer. And it increases our odds of success in getting the Senate version (S.3729) approved, as the rest of the House becomes increasingly aware that the Science Committee's HR.5781 is not likely to lead to a useful result anytime soon, and that the only practical way to wrap this issue up before the election is for the House to approve the S.3729 version NASA Authorization that the Senate passed last summer.

- Two, the House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, has announced that there will be no House votes today, or Monday and Tuesday of next week. The House is due back in session next Wednesday at 10 am. So we have more time to work this issue. If you haven't already made that phone call, make it! And if you have, consider following up with more detail.

More when we know more.

URGENT Action Alert Thursday 9/23/10 - In a surprise move, the House parties to the ongoing House-Senate negotiations over a NASA Authorization bill have unilaterally come up with a substitute version of their original (and very bad) HR.5781.  This new version of HR.5781 may be voted on as soon as tomorrow, Friday 9/24.  After a quick review of the new bill text, we strongly urge you to IMMEDIATELY contact your Representative and ask them to reject HR.5781 and instead approve the Senate version S.3729.

(rest of 9/23 Alert available at http://www.space-access.org/updates/sau120.html)

thanks for your time

Henry Vanderbilt
for Space Access Society
http://www.space-access.org
"Reach low orbit and you're halfway to anywhere in the Solar System"
- Robert A Heinlein, as related by G Harry Stine