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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NSS Encourages Calls to Congress! Congress has drafted a spending bill that would prevent NASA from investing in the human exploration of Mars! We are asking your help to call key members of Congress to tell them that this short-sighted language must go! Read on for full details, including telephone numbers. And while you're on the phone, be sure to tell them that you support full funding for NASA and our space program. Thank you in advance for your help and support in advancing human presence in space. Ad Astra! The NSS Political Action Team ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the United States House of Representatives recently passed its version of the FY08 budget, the House approved language in the NASA budget that would restrict NASA from spending any money on programs that are exclusively intended for human missions to Mars. This language poses a real danger to the future of the space program. It not only endangers future human missions to the Red Planet but also undermines the rationale behind our successful robotic Mars program. According to NSS Executive Director George Whitesides, "This shortsighted language must be changed. At a time when Europe, Russia, and China are turning their attention towards Mars, this language would hobble America's leadership position in exploration of the Red Planet." It is NOT too late to prevent this language from ending up in
the final budget. Here's why. The U.S. Senate
version of the budget does not include this language and House and
Senate Appropriations members can still help remove the language
during the Conference Committee. However, they are unlikely
to do so unless there are loud objections from their constituents
and We need you to take a stand. How? You need to call the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committee (listed at the bottom of this email) and express your opposition to this anti-Mars language. In addition, tell them that NASA needs to be funded at the level that Congress itself agreed to in the 2005 NASA Authorization Act. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What should you say when you call the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees? 1. I am calling to object to the anti-Mars
language that has been placed in the House Appropriations
Bill. The language, which was inserted by staff, would forbid
NASA from 2. Congress should also support a top-line
increase in NASA's budget, which is an investment in America's
future. We hope that you will support the funding level
that ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As citizens, we have the right to petition our government and make our voices heard on important policy issues. Representatives and senators are very busy people-so busy, they often do not have the time to read the contents of the bills they sign or research how their constituents feel about them. Calling is the best way to make your opinion known immediately. Here are some tips to keep in mind when calling the members of
the Senate and House * Ask to speak with the member of the staff responsible for the
senator/representative's position on the NASA budget.
Remember or write down the staffer's name in case you need to call
back * Assume that you will speak with a staffer, not the senator/representative personally. Due to the demands members of Congress face, the staffer will likely know more about the issue anyway. * Remain polite in your dealings with congressional staff. Insults, bullying, yelling, or profanity will hurt, not help your case. * At the end of the call, thank the staffer for their time and ask if you can be of further help to them in researching your issue. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After contacting the Committee member... After contacting members of the House or Senate Appropriations
Committee, email the results of your conversation to Greg Allison
(ghallison4space@yahoo.com), Veronica
Ann Zabala (Veronica.Zabala@asu.edu) or
Bart Leahy (bart_leahy@hotmail.com) so the
Policy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS * Daniel K. Inouye, Hawaii 202-224-3934 * Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont 202-224-4242 * Tom Harkin, Iowa 202-224-3254 * Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland 202-224-4654 * Herb Kohl, Wisconsin 202-224-5653 * Byron Dorgan, North Dakota 202-224-2551 * Dianne Feinstein, California 202-224-3841 * Jack Reed, Rhode Island 202-224-4642 * Frank R. Lautenberg, New Jersey 202-224-3224
* Richard C. Shelby, Alabama, Ranking Member 202-224-5744 * Ted Stevens, Alaska 202-224-3004 * Mitch McConnell, Kentucky 202-224-2541 * Judd Gregg, New Hampshire 202-224-3324 * Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas 202-224-5922 * Pete Domenici, New Mexico 202-224-6621 * Sam Brownback, Kansas 202-224-6521 * Lamar Alexander, Tennessee 202-224-4944 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS * Alan B. Mollohan, West Virginia, Chair 202-225-4172 * Rosa L. DeLauro, Connecticut 202-225-3661 * David E. Price, North Carolina 202-225-1784 * Patrick J. Kennedy, Rhode Island 202-225-4911 * Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania 202-225-4001 * Adam Schiff, California 202-225-4176 * Michael Honda, California 202-225-2631 * C.A "Dutch" Ruppersberger, Maryland 202-225-3061
* Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, New Jersey, Ranking Member 202-225-5034 * Harold Rogers, Kentucky 202-225-4601 * Tom Latham, Iowa 202-225-5476 * Robert B.Aderholt, Alabama 202-225-4876 * John Abney Culberson, Texas 202-225-2571 * Jerry Lewis, California, Ex Officio 202-225-5861 |
