Bill Posey criticizes Obama for misleading NASA & Brevard County

FL-State Rep. Bill Posey criticized Obama's broken pledge

Florida Congressman Bill Posey passionately voiced his pro-NASA stance during an interview with local conservative radio talk show host, Bill Mick, of Bill Mick Live, on WMMB AM.
 Mick interviewed Posey during the 7 A.M. time slot last week (click here for the podcast), and Posey used the platform to highlight the unique aspects of the Ares Program and other aspects of NASA, but Posey's positive tone changed when he was asked about President Obama's position on NASA. Posey said: "When the President appointed the Augustine Commission and tasked them, he put the restraint on it that, 'remember now, your recommendations must be within my proposed budget'.... So they were tasked with an impossible job of coming up with sufficient product."

Posey claims Obama's  task force for NASA is hamstrung by insufficient funding

 Posey was asked what he though of Suzanne Kosmas request for $3 billion per year from the President's stimulus plan. Posey replied by pointing out Obama's broken promise to advance the space program, rather than downsize it.

"I think ($3 billion annually) is an absolute minimum number, but the President made a promise when he was on the Space Coast, he said 'I'm going to close the gap', he didn't say 'I'm going to extend the gap.' He didn't say 'We're going to live with the gap as it is', he said, 'I'm going to close the gap, and I'm going to keep America first in space.' You can't do it on the existing budget, and that's what he told the Augustine Commission to figure out.

Nasa.gov

Thousands of residents in Brevard County and central Florida are keeping a cautious eye on the shuttle program's ultimate countdown clock, which is set to retire within the next 24 months, at least 3,000 shuttle program jobs are expected to be cut from NASA. To preserve NASA's state-wide economic impact and nation-wide science & tech impact, Posey is leading a bipartisan effort  to create a Centers of Excellence Program, for "university-based public-private partnerships to support commercial spaceflight research and development." According to spaceref.com, the centers parternershipswill be established through a competitive process based on applications by higher education institutions that meet certain requirements, including demonstrated R&D capabilities, established space transportation and aerospace R&D programs. The centers will provide educational, technical & analytical assistance to NASA and other Federal agencies.
 

For more info: Visit billposey.com, www.nasa.gov and www.spaceref.com