George Bush's position on

NASA and space exploration: Although funding for NASA and space exploration thrived during the years surrounding Kennedy, the past ten years have produced a shrinking budget for NASA and their programs. NASA, in recent years, has struggled with criticism due to the cost in money and in lives that its programs require. This was especially true after the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster in February 2003. This criticism has been somewhat combated by the recent successes of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission.

Description of candidate's position: Bush proposes several new initiatives for NASA and their space programs. First, he wants to complete the International Space Station by 2010. Second, he proposes developing and testing new spacecraft by 2008 and conducting the first manned mission with this spacecraft by 2014. Third, he wants to return to the moon by 2020. Finally, he has asked Congress to increase NASA's budget by roughly a billion dollars, spread out over the next five years.

Quotation from the candidate: "Inspired by all that has come before, and guided by clear objectives, today we set a new course for America's space program. We will give NASA a new focus and vision for future exploration. We will build new ships to carry man forward into the universe, to gain a new foothold on the moon, and to prepare for new journeys to worlds beyond our own." January 2004. link

Assessment of the Proposal:

Positive: Norman J. Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, explains that the United States has the resources and the "foresight" to make the appropriate investment in space exploration. He argues that funding for NASA needs to be expanded and the United States needs a long-term plan for space exploration in order to advance our knowledge of space. Bush endorses both of these policies.

Negative: Michael Gough, director of science and risk studies at the Cato Institute, believes that NASA is a waste of money and energy. He argues that no more funding should be allocated to NASA due to the fact that the shuttle gives the United States few benefits and because the space station "is a white elephant."

Comparison: Bush has proposed several new initiatives for NASA and the space program as whole and has asked Congress to allocate more funds for those initiatives. Although Kerry does not directly endorse Bush's initiatives, he does call on Congress to provide more funding to NASA for increased support for physical sciences and engineering (http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/technology/plan.html). Additionally, Kerry's record in the Senate suggests that he is not a staunch supporter of NASA and its programs. link

Link to Kerry's issue brief.