Rep. Bart Gordon responds to critics of House NASA bill; Blames Administration

US Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), chair of the House of Representatives Science & Technology Committee and seeking to advance a House version of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, released his letter response Friday after a number of prominent former NASA officials, researchers and scientists including 14 Nobel laureates wrote to House leadership last week urging them to increase funding for research, robotics and human space flight, reports The Hill today.

"Reluctantly, the Committee came to the conclusion that the president's new human space flight program, much like the current Constellation program, was unexecutable under the current budget projections and other NASA priorities we all agree must be addressed," Gordon said, adding "This conclusion was not reached in haste and was based on upon several months of hearings from expert witnesses."

Following the Senate's unanimous adoption of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, the House measure forged by Gordon's committee staff has been roundly criticized by numerous space advocacy groups. The outcry halted the House committee bill from coming to the floor earlier this summer without debate or amendments.

The House version of the multi-year NASA authorization is expected to come to the floor of the House of Representatives later this month with opposition space advocates seeking to restore commercial crew and cargo and new deep space propulsion authorizations previously included by the Senate.

Gordon, a 26-year veteran of the House of Representatives, is stepping down opting for new opportunities in a post-Congressional career.