spacetoday.net: House committee approves $17.9 billion budget for NASA

Posted: Sat, May 10, 2014, 8:34 AM ET (1234 GMT)
US Capitol

The House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill Thursday that would give NASA $17.9 billion in fiscal year 2015, more than $400 million above the administration's request. The Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) appropriations bill, approved by the full committee a week after the CJS subcommittee passed it, would increase funding for planetary science as well as development of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, relative to the White House's budget request submitted in March. The bill would also provide $785 million for commercial crew, $63 million below the administration's request but higher than the program received in any previous year. Space technology was cut, though, compared to the original request. The bill may be taken up by the full House as soon as late this month. The Senate is expected to start work on its version of the spending bill in the coming weeks.