“China is not interested in out-DEI’ing us”
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Eric Schmitt sat in as Ranking Member for today’s hearing on NASA’s FY24 Budget Request. Senator Schmitt questioned NASA Administrator Bill Nelson’s specific efforts to foster innovation to compete against China in space and the prioritization of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the agency’s budget:
Background:
- Missouri is home to over twenty space supplier companies that are actively supporting NASA’s Artemis program, which is set to return man to the Moon by 2025.
- The key to developing technology is through light touch regulation, not the heavy hand of government. NASA and the U.S. are at a key inflection point in the space race against China—making it all the more important that any new rules or regulations developed for the commercial space industry be focused on empowering our private sector, not hindering it.
- When counted in NASA’s budget request, the word “China” is mentioned once, while other climate and DEI related terms are mentioned over 153 times.
- In March, Senator Schmitt joined every Senate Commerce Republican demanding NASA rescind its costly and radical proposed Green House Gas (GHG) rule, requiring NASA contractors to shoulder enormous new costs and hand power over to a non-governmental organization to control our government procurement process.
- Last year, China completed its last mission required to assemble the Tiangong Space Station. With the International Space Station (ISS) set to be decommissioned in 2030, it is critical that the NASA and the Biden Administration stay laser focused on establishing a new permanent U.S. presence in space as a counter to the CCP’s Tiangong Space Station.
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