Science, space get budget push

Budget boosts for NASA and the National Science Foundation are included

in a $101 billion fiscal 2001 spending bill approved Tuesday by the House

Appropriations Committee's Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development

and Independent Agencies Subcommittee.

The bill, which now goes to the full House Appropriations Committee

for consideration, brings NASA's fiscal 2001 funding to $13.7 billion, a

$112 million increase over fiscal 2000. President Clinton had requested

$14 billion for NASA.

The bill funds the International Space Station at $2.1 billion, which

is $215 million less than fiscal 2000. But NASA's Mars mission is funded

at the president's requested level of $327 million. Following the failures

of two Mars exploration spacecraft in late 1999, NASA is strengthening its

technological oversight and personnel management as well as restructuring

the Mars program.

The subcommittee approved a $4.1 billion budget for the National Science

Foundation, a $167 million increase over fiscal 2000. The president requested

$4.5 billion, a record increase for the agency, which will be tasked with

new initiatives in information technology research, nanotechnology and the

development of cybersecurity service program.

The bill also would fund HUD at $30 billion, $2.5 billion below the

administration's request. It also funds EPA at $7.2 billion.