Floor Statement: Aeronautics/NASA

FLOOR STATEMENT: AERONAUTICS/NASA

"Mr. President, I rise today to join Senator Allen in urging the Senate to adopt budget language reinforcing our Nation's commitment to vital aeronautics research. For decades, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has conducted a wide array of aeronautics research programs that have helped ensure our economic and military security and revolutionize the way we travel. NASA's work in aeronautics has captured the spirit of the Wright Brothers, spawning generation after generation of progress. The amendment before us, which I am co-sponsoring, will help make certain that progress continues for many years to come.

"Members of this body, including me, will fly to their home states later today or tomorrow when we have completed the budget, and when we do, we will benefit from countless innovations first developed in NASA aeronautics programs over the years -- efficient jet engines, safe and secure air traffic control networks, advanced de-icing technologies, and so on.

"The impact of NASA's work is indeed widespread. The U.S. aviation industry supports over 11 million jobs and contributes $1 trillion in economic activity. Our airlines carry 750 million passengers per year, with that number expected to grow to a billion within 15 years. We ship 52% of our exports by air, and in fact, the aviation industry contributes more to the U.S. balance of trade than any other domestic manufacturing industry.

"Yet unfortunately, Mr. President, today we are at grave risk of losing the staff, facilities, and expertise necessary to continue the long history of NASA's aeronautics research programs. We are at risk of essentially allowing the first "A" in NASA -- the one that stands for aeronautics -- to die over the next several years. What a tragedy that would be for the traveling public, for our aviation industries, for our military, and really for our entire economy.

"The budget we have before us does not contain specific references to aeronautics funding. Nonetheless, we know of NASA's plans for aeronautics from its fiscal year 2006 budget request. We know that the agency intends to reduce overall aeronautics funding by over 17% from fiscal year 2004, dropping another 12% by 2009. That's nearly one-third in just five years.

"The cuts are even more severe within the "vehicle systems" account -- the portion of NASA's aeronautics program that focuses on making aircraft safer, faster, quieter, more fuel efficient, and dynamic. NASA has announced its intention to cut over 28% of its budget in this area relative to FY04, with plans to eventually cut even deeper in the out years. What will the practical consequences of these cuts be?

"For starters, the cuts mean that all subsonic and hypersonic research will be terminated. This is the research that focuses on designing stronger airframes and better turbine engines -- technologies that with just a little work can be taken from the lab and applied directly to functional aircraft, whether commercial or military. As a result, domestic aircraft and engine producers will lack the ability to draw on a body of solid pre-competitive research, while competitors abroad benefit from well financed efforts, such as the European Union's "Vision 2020" aeronautics program. Ultimately, the consequence may be the loss of our longstanding global leadership in civil aviation and all the economic benefits that flow from that leadership.

"Second, many of the facilities necessary to design and test new aeronautics technologies will likely be closed as a result of budget shortfalls. Wind tunnels and propulsion test facilities are used by government, academia, and industry -- often on a pay-for-use basis -- and require minimal funding to maintain. A recent RAND National Defense Research Institute determined that over 84 percent of these NASA facilities serve strategic national needs, and concluded that the success of the U.S. aerospace industry "relies on our workforce and test facility infrastructure. . . and will continue to need predict airflow behavior over a range of designs." If we allow wind tunnels and propulsion labs to close, there will, in fact, be no way to serve these needs.

"So, these proposed aeronautics cuts are a double threat to the U.S. aviation industry: On the one hand, they get NASA out of the business of subsonic research, and on the other, they may well lead to the closure of the very facilities industry and academia would need to replace that research. There would, of course, be consequences for cross-cutting technologies used by the military and for the scores of Americans employed in these areas. On balance, the overall long-term impact would be devastating.

"Instead of focusing on these subsonic and hypersonic aeronautics program areas, NASA intends to focus on "barrier breaking" flight demonstrations. These are exciting projects that involve UAVs and aircraft capable of quietly crossing the sound barrier, and they may pay off 15, 20, or 25 years down the road. By then, however, it could be too late for our aviation industry. The language offered by Senator ALLEN today addresses that fact head-on by restoring balance in NASA's aeronautics programs.

"We need to step back and re-evaluate where we are with aeronautics research, where we want to be in 5, 10, 15 years, and make a commitment to do what it takes to get us there. A study specifically requested by Congress in the fiscal year 2004 omnibus appropriations bill mapping this course will be unveiled later this month by the National Institute of Aerospace. Just yesterday, the House Science Committee held an important hearing on the direction of aeronautics research.

"There is movement on these issues, and we will have opportunities to define our goals as the year progresses. What Senator Allen is proposing to do is to say that we must keep all of our options open and our areas of expertise healthy until we are able to come to a conclusion between Congress, the Administration, industry, academia, and really our Nation on what our direction will be. Senator Allen's language, in essence, ensures that our debate on how to approach aeronautics will not be over before it begins.

"Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of my remarks appears in the Record next to any consideration in today's session of the Allen amendment (number 197)."

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