The U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology voted Thursday to slash $300 million from NASA's funding dedicated to Earth Science, the division that researches Earth's natural systems and processes including climate change, severe weather and glaciers.
The Obama administration proposed on February an $18.52 billion budget for the space agency for fiscal 2016 with some budget cuts on human space exploration and planetary science.
What's surprising though is that the divisions that are expecting some budget cuts were given increases. Planetary Science was expecting only $1.36 billion while it was only $2.86 billion for Space Exploration, but Congress allotted $1.45 billion and $3.31 billion, respectively. Congress argued that its decision aims to restore balance to NASA's funding, according to Houston Chronicle's report.
"The NASA Authorization Act for 2016 and 2017 builds on the bipartisan one-year agreement that the House passed just weeks ago," the House Science Committee Chairman, Republican Lamar Smith, said in a statement. "It restores much-needed balance to NASA's budget while complying with funding levels set by current law. It authorizes full funding for the exploration systems that will take us to the Moon and Mars as well as the Commercial Crew program. It provides NASA with a science portfolio that is truly balanced."
NASA administrator Charles Bolden is worried on the possible repercussions of the budget cut on the division. He was surprised that the Congress is increasing the budgets for the divisions that don't need much funding.
"The NASA authorization bill threatens to set back generations worth of progress in better understanding our changing climate, and our ability to prepare for and respond to earthquakes, droughts, and storm events," Bolden said in a statement.
"In addition, the bill underfunds the critical space technologies that the nation will need to lead in space, including on our journey to Mars."
