GovernmentExecutive.com

Self-preservation is the law of the jungle in Congress, so House Republicans are beginning to worry about the political fallout from the controversies swirling about Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, whose fund-raising activity and overseas travel is being scrutinized.

But Republicans aren't the only ones whose fortunes may be tied to DeLay's fate. Just a few blocks away from the Capitol is the headquarters of a federal agency that stands to suffer a debilitating loss in the event DeLay fails to weather the storm. That agency is NASA. There are lots of members of Congress who look out for NASA's interests (the agency is, after all, skilled at parceling out contracts and projects across the political landscape), but none of its benefactors is quite like DeLay.

A self-described "space nut," DeLay has been a friend to NASA since he first arrived in Washington. Over the course of his career, he has supported big-ticket items such as the International Space Station and also tended to mundane needs such as funding for a wider road into the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

When he speaks publicly about NASA, it is with a boyish wonder and an uncharacteristic eloquence. But he can be fierce in defending the idea of human space exploration. When former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, then in office just a few months, appeared in 2002 before the VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, DeLay greeted him with a volley of tough questions: "Do you know anything about NASA?" he demanded. "Are you coming in with a single goal of putting the books in order? Is there a passion for the big picture of space? Do you care about exploration? Do you understand how important it is to continue sending people into space?

Charles Mahtesian, editor of The Almanac of American Politics, explores the potential fallout for NASA if the troubles plaguing DeLay push him out of Congress. Read the full column here.

Post a Comment

To post a comment, you must provide a name and a valid e-mail address. Messages must be limited to 400 words. By using this Service you agree not to post material that is obscene, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable. Although Government Executive does not monitor comments posted to this site (and has no obligation to), it reserves the right to delete, edit, or move any material that it deems to be in violation of this rule.