S.Amdt. 3032

SA 3032. Mr. DeWINE (for himself, Mr. Allen, Mr. Voinovich, and Mr. Warner) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 83, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2007 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2006 and 2008 through 2011; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate location, insert the following:

SEC. __. SENSE OF SENATE ON FUNDING OF SUBSONIC AND HYPERSONIC AERONAUTICS RESEARCH BY THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION.

(a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:

(1) The economic and military security of the United States depends on the continued development of improved aeronautics technologies.

(2) Research and development on many emerging aeronautics technologies is often too expensive or removed in time from commercial application to garner the necessary level of support from the private sector.

(3) The advances made possible by Government-funded research in emerging aeronautics technologies have enabled a longstanding positive balance of trade and air superiority on the battlefield for the United States in recent decades.

(4) The aeronautics industry has grown increasingly mature in recent years, with growth dependent on the availability of the research workforce and facilities provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

(5) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-155) strongly endorses continuation of the aeronautics research and development programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and authorizes $962,000,000 for aeronautics in fiscal year 2007.

(6) Recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration studies have demonstrated the competitiveness, scientific merit, and necessity of nearly all existing aeronautics wind tunnel and propulsion testing facilities.

(7) A minimum level of investment by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is necessary to maintain these facilities in operational condition and to prevent their financial collapse.

(b) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--

(1) the level of funding provided for Aeronautics Research within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration should be increased by $179,000,000 in fiscal year 2007.

(2) at least 50 percent of the increase provided should be applied to the Fundamental Aeronautics Program budget for use in subsonic and hypersonic aeronautical research.