Washington Updates

Lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill this week for the last meetings and committee hearings of the year. Senator-elect Mark Kelly (D-AZ) became the fourth astronaut elected to Congress when he was sworn in on Wednesday. There are several items on the Congressional agenda, including the finalizing of FY2021 appropriations and negotiating a stimulus bill. Next…

The Senate Appropriations Committee released the text of a dozen FY2021 bills this week in order to pass a large funding omnibus and prevent a government shutdown in December. However, it is unclear how much progress will be made in a lame duck session. Other priorities Congress must tackle include a coronavirus relief package and…

The Senate took recess this week following the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, as Washington and the country await the results of the 2020 elections next week. Meanwhile, it was reported that NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover had made it to the halfway point in its journey to the Red Planet, and preparations…

It was an exciting week for the space community. The International Astronautical Congress was held virtually and achieved many important milestones for space policy, especially the signing of the Artemis Accords. In Washington, D.C., the Senate Judiciary Committee held confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Sign Up for Space Symposium 365 Space…

On Thursday night, the Senate passed a short-term continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown. The bill extends $1.4 trillion in government funding until December 11. Earlier in the week, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on NASA missions and programs. Sign Up for Space Symposium 365 Space Symposium 365…

It was a busy week in Washington, D.C., as the House was in session and took up various bills including the “Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow” (PROSWIFT) Act. The space community also had a big week, as it was announced that phosphine gas had been detected in…