House members urge cutoff of space station funds

Bipartisan opponents of the space station today called on the House to eliminate funding for the project when floor debate begins Thursday on the FY99 VA-HUD appropriations bill.

"It's time to put the space station out of its misery," said Rep. Tim Roemer, D-Ind., who was joined at a news conference by Reps. Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Barney Frank, D-Mass.

Frank said the Clinton administration should call for an end to the space station because it is still over budget and behind schedule after years of NASA officials promising it would get better.

"We have to recognize we made a mistake [in funding the space station]," Frank said, arguing the money should be spent on other space projects that could produce similar scientific research.