House panel cuts NASA funding request

WASHINGTON, July 20 (UPI) -- House appropriators cut $1.1 billion from President Bush's budget request for NASA Tuesday, but face an uphill battle with Republican leaders.

The House VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee approved the cuts from a $92.9 billion bill covering veterans, health and other programs, which would eliminate President Bush's proposed $900 million increase in the agency's 2005 budget.

The overall bill provides $2.1 billion more than the 2004 level for the myriad of agencies provided for in the bill, including a $2.5 billion increase in veterans health programs and $800 million more than Bush's total request for the programs involved.

Nevertheless, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and the Appropriation Committee's ranking Democrat, David Obey of Wisconsin, questioned the bill's future in its current form.

"To me, that's unacceptable, and it would be very hard to get this bill to the floor if it's unacceptable to me," said DeLay when asked about the NASA cuts.