spacetoday.net: Senate approves extra $1 billion for NASA

Posted: Fri, Oct 5, 2007, 7:16 AM ET (1116 GMT)
US Capitol

The US Senate approved Thursday an amendment to an appropriations bill that would add $1 billion to NASA's proposed fiscal year 2008 budget. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and co-sponsored by several members of both parties, would add the extra billion to an appropriations bill that previously provided $17.5 billion for NASA. The extra funding is designed to partially compensate the agency for covering the costs of returning the space shuttle to flight after the Columbia accident in 2003, an effort that required transferring money from other programs. The Senate has yet to approve the overall appropriations bill, and may not do so until after a week-long recess next week. The Senate's version of the bill will have to be reconciled with a House version passed this summer that doesn't include the extra $1 billion; any final version of the bill could also face a presidential veto.