spacetoday.net: NASA authorization bill put on hold

Posted: Sat, Jul 31, 2010, 9:30 AM ET (1330 GMT)
US Capitol

The House deferred plans to vote on a NASA authorization bill before going on August recess because of concerns by some members about the bill's provisions. Proponents of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 had hoped to have the full House vote on the bill late in the week under a procedure known as "suspension of the rules", which limits debate and the ability to add amendments, but required a two-thirds majority for passage. Some members, particularly from California and Ohio, objected to provisions of the bill that limited funding for technology development and commercial crew programs. Given that opposition, plus the need to make changes to the legislation that would have required unanimous support, supporter elected to wait until the House returns from its summer recess in early September. The bill does not itself provide NASA with funding, but authorizes expenditures and sets other policy for NASA for fiscal years 2011 through 2013.