Congress will consider this week a NASA program that makes taxpayers and some legislators go ape. The House will vote on June 25 or 26 whether or not to get the monkey off the taxpayer’s back.

Representatives Tim Roemer (D-IN) and Greg Ganske (R-IA) have introduced an amendment to the FY97 VA-HUD spending bill that would block remaining funds for NASA’s plans to send Russian monkeys into outer space. In 1993, Congress appropriated over $33 million for the project, $16 million of which remains unspent. The amendment is scheduled for consideration on Tuesday June 25 or Wednesday June 26.

The two missions – Bion 11 & 12 – are planned for Sept. 1996 and July 1998. While the missions are cooperative U.S/Russian/French flights, they are being funded largely by U.S. tax dollars. The missions would orbit rhesus monkeys in outer space on two 14-day trips, ostensibly to gather data on the effects of space on the body. But NASA has already conducted five similar missions and humans have traveled in space for 439 days.

Even NASA’s own support of the missions is uncertain — a Feb. 1996 memo from Presidential Science Advisor Jack Gibbons to NASA Administrator Dan Goldin reads, “I sympathize with your concern that the era of need for primates in NASA’s research is now behind us and that it may now be time to retire those animals. I would be pleased to . . . discuss alternate options. . .”

Coincidentally, NASA’s worst nightmare has come true this week as thousands of animal activists have descended on Washington for the World Congress for Animals.

TC$’s April 15 press conference on the monkey program was covered on CNN.

For more information, contact Ralph DeGennaro at (202) 546-8500 x102 or email.

House flip-flops, belly-flops on forest roads

Congress did right by the taxpayer, only to flip-flop less than 24 hours later. On June 19, the House passed by one vote a bipartisan amendment that would have cut close to $50 million in subsidies for the construction of forest roads that allow logging companies access to timber. Timber interests, stunned by this assault on pork-barrel politics-as-usual, demanded a revote — and a few more hours to twist Congressional arms. The next day’s revote was 211 to 211 – a tie is a loss under Congressional rules. Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) – who usually does not vote – helped force the tie when he cast his vote against the amendment. Before he became Speaker, Rep. Gingrich had supported a similar amendment in 1993.