White House Threatens to Veto Budget Bill Over NASA Cuts

WASHINGTON --The White House has threatened to veto a spending bill that would deny NASA the funding it is counting on to get started on a new space exploration agenda next year.

The veto threat was issued after the House Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to cut President George W. Bush�s 2005 budget request for NASA by $1.1 billion, a move that would leave the space agency with $229 million less than it has this year.

The White House Office of Management and Budget Director Josh Bolton wrote the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee July 22 informing him that the cuts imposed on NASA were unacceptable and would be reason for the president�s senior advisors to recommend a veto.

Bush is asking Congress for $16.2 billion for NASA for 2005, a 5.6 percent increase over NASA's 2004 budget. House appropriators approved a 2005 budget of just $15.1 billion.

more