Press Release

Rep. Ami Bera, ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Space, released the following statement after the House voted to pass the NASA Transition Authorization Act, which establishes a funding range for the nation's space program.

For nearly 60 years, NASA has been one of our nation's greatest symbols of American excellence and ingenuity, and I'm pleased that the NASA Transition Authorization Act will provide important funding stability for our mission in space and aeronautics. That said, I believe this bill would have been better served by a comprehensive multi-mission outlook that includes Earth Science, Planetary Science, Astrophysics, and Heliophysics. I'm energized that this bill establishes a requirement for NASA to provide a Human Exploration Roadmap that lays out how we send humans to the surface of Mars – something that I believe we can, must, and will achieve.

The NASA Transition Authorization Act sets a funding cap for NASA at $19.5 billion for fiscal year 2017, and commits the agency to outlining a comprehensive strategy to send humans to the surface of Mars. The passage of this bill through the House marks the first time since 2010 that Congress has passed authorization to fund NASA.

###