NASA administrator Charles Bolden appears to enjoy respect on the hill -- and I think he's also respected for saying it like it is, with minimal sugarcoating and maximum face-factsness. So I deeply and greatly admire this description of his recent testimony:
Skeptical House Science Committee Reviews FY 2012 NASA Budget Request
"There was discussion throughout this two-hour hearing about space science programs. One member expressed support for the astrophysics program and the discovery of new planets. There was also concern about the adequacy of the agency's earth science programs. Bolden described problems confronting some earth satellite replacement programs, and starkly warned the committee "we are in dire straits as a nation when it comes to weather and climate prediction." He was blunt in calling, as "dumb things" congressional attempts to defund a satellite program that would measure, among other data, shifting changes in the world's climate. "I don't do global warming, I do earth science," he said emphatically.
There was also discussion about the impacts of funding reductions to the agency's future budgets. Saying that current budget projections are going to make it difficult to achieve agreed-upon goals for the development of new human exploration systems, Bolden warned the committee "all bets are off" if Congress cuts the agency's budget."
But are the tone-deaf among the Congresspersons even listening? Are they even CAPABLE of listening?
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