“With a $500 billion deficit, America does not have the luxury,” Schatz says

(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today cautioned against the proposal by the administration to expand the space program to include a possible manned station on the moon and human flight to Mars.  Concerned with NASA’s existing obligations and the budget deficit, CAGW believes such a move would be too risky and costly.

“While space exploration may be a noble idea, it is not feasible at this time,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “Cost estimates for the new programs range from $550 billion to $1 trillion.  Until the federal government brings the record deficit back down to Earth, it should not launch expensive new space programs of questionable scientific value.”

The federal deficit for the first three months of fiscal 2004 was $126 billion.  The Congressional Budget Office and Office of Management and Budget both predict that the deficit will maintain that pace and exceed $500 billion over the course of the year.  A similar man to Mars mission was scuttled in the first Bush administration due to deficit concerns when that figure was only $152 billion in 1989.

“Under the current budget conditions, taking a trip to Mars is the equivalent of a family with two kids in college, one parent unemployed, and the other parent working only part-time taking a two week vacation to the Caribbean,” Schatz continued.  “On the other hand, maybe sending a man to Mars makes sense, since no one will be able to afford to live on this planet if deficits and debt keep skyrocketing.”

NASA has also been plagued by financial problems.  The space station, whose purpose remains controversial, was completed $4.5 billion over budget, and the space shuttle is grounded at least until the fall.  Just last month, the General Accounting Office (GAO) released four reports criticizing NASA’s effort to modernize its financial management program.  GAO claims that NASA could end up wasting millions of dollars if the problems are not corrected.

“Even if this space dream made sense, members of Congress, who have stuffed NASA’s fiscal 2004 budget with more than $300 million in pork, should first be required to eliminate their parochial projects.  Those projects included $3 million for an astronomy center in Hawaii, as well as $3 million for ocean and weather research at the University of Alaska,” Schatz concluded.  “How can we trust members of Congress to find the money to fully fund a new mission to the moon and Mars when they have such a track record?”

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.