Gary Peters Asks NASA Nom Point Blank: Would Budget Cuts ‘Undermine’ Missions To The Moon And Mars?

4/11/2025

During Wednesday's Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) questioned Jared Isaacman, the nominee to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, about the impact of potential budget cuts to future missions.

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Transcript

00:00Michigan, Gary Peters. Thank you, Senator. Congratulations to both of our nominees

00:06here on your nomination these important positions. Mr. Isaacman, we had a great

00:11opportunity to talk yesterday in my office about a variety of issues. Artemis

00:15came up frequently as I know it's come up at the hearing frequently as well

00:19including Senator Moran in the previous question and you suggested here and

00:24there that NASA can pursue the Artemis program or a mission to the moon and a

00:29potential Mars mission in parallel tracks is how you've been describing it. I'm

00:35concerned though about the possibility of achieving that while we expect budget

00:40cuts to NASA. We've already seen its cuts and somewhat significant cuts I would

00:46argue to staff at NASA so my question for you is do you agree that budget cuts would

00:53undermine that vision that you are expressing?

00:59Well Senator, I think right now NASA has a pretty extraordinary budget. I believe it's

01:04close to every federal law enforcement agency combined times two. With that

01:08budget and those resources available I do believe we can do the near impossible. I

01:13think we can have multiple flagship scientific missions at once which means

01:16we can have multiple space exploration missions at once and try and solve the

01:21space economy in low earth orbit sir. Even with budget cuts you'll be able to do

01:25that? Well Senator I'm not familiar with what the what's potentially being

01:29contemplated but I will absolutely do the most with the resources available to

01:34try and deliver on NASA's world-changing mission sir. So given the I think it's

01:39pretty clear we're likely to see constrained budgets how do you envision

01:43speeding up our timeline for the Mars mission that you talked about while also

01:47ensuring that Artemis is properly resourced and protected from any future cuts

01:52that may come their way? Well Senator I think across the board we have to

01:57acknowledge as I mentioned our opening remarks we do have we do have problems

02:00here. The president presidents have called for return to the moon and a path

02:05to Mars since 1989. We spent a lot of money and we haven't gotten this crew

02:08around the moon let alone landing on it. If I'm confirmed I absolutely am gonna roll

02:13up my sleeves and get in the trenches with the best and brightest and figure out

02:17where we have our program challenges what's impeding progress clear those

02:21obstacles and get back to delivering on the mission if we can do that then we're

02:24gonna get the inspirational side of NASA going we're gonna get the stem side

02:28growing and the next generation is gonna grow up and want to reach even

02:31farther sir. As you know public private partnerships between NASA and

02:36commercial space companies is a critical part of space exploration efforts you

02:40know that firsthand from your flight to space twice with SpaceX and I

02:47understand that you have business ties so with SpaceX previous to your

02:52nomination as well. My question for you given the fact that Elon Musk serves

02:58both as the CEO of SpaceX as well as a is a White House employee and leader

03:03over Doge which has significant influence over spending and contracts at least

03:08that's what we have been seeing. Certainly in our meeting I was happy to

03:12hear you say to me that you are not beholden to Elon Musk in any way so I

03:17want to give you an opportunity to say that on the record if I if I may. So first

03:21have you had any communication emails text or calls with Elon Musk regarding how

03:26your plan to manage NASA since you were nominated? Not at all Senator. What steps will

03:33you take if confirmed to ensure that he is not allowed undue influence given the

03:38extensive contracts that he has so with NASA to make sure that he has no undue

03:45influence over the awarding or the implementation of those contracts? Well I

03:49think I think Senator I absolutely want to be clear my loyalty is to this nation

03:53the space agency and and their world-changing mission. I have to imagine

03:58that in the 1960s administrator Webb would have taken phone calls and welcomed the

04:03input from all the various contractors that were contributing to the

04:06endeavor but they're the contractors. NASA's the customer they work for us not

04:10the other way around Senator. Very good. Ms. Trustee you have a deep history working on

04:17defense related spectrum issues that are absolutely critical as you know to our

04:21security apparatus. However agencies other than the DOD use spectrum key for

04:26keys public safety applications and I believe that they need to be protected as

04:30well. One such band is 5.9 also known as the auto safety spectrum which is

04:35overseen by the Department of Transportation. This band allows for the

04:39deployment of safety technologies including cellular vehicle to

04:43everything technology that certainly enables collision avoidance, freight

04:48efficiency movements, and a whole lot more. In 2020 some of the spectrum was

04:53allocated away from these auto safety purposes which in my mind will reduce

04:58roadway safety in the long term and I believe we can't let that happen happen

05:03again. I think my senator from Ohio will agree that we have to make sure auto

05:07safety is always put at the forefront of considerations when it comes to the

05:12spectrum. So my question to you is if confirmed will you commit to protecting

05:16the remaining auto safety spectrum for roadway safety innovation like the

05:20cellular vehicle to everything technology? Senator thank you for this

05:25question and it's really important to me in my time in the house I worked closely

05:29with NHTSA on vehicle safety issues so I'm very familiar with the the safe

05:35life-saving potential of CVDX V2V and so I think as a if confirmed my

05:42responsibility is to put spectrum to its highest and best use meaning

05:46maximizing its economic and societal benefits. When it comes to vehicle

05:50safety that will certainly be a part of the information in the record and I'd be

05:53happy to work with you to ensure that CVDX can be deployed with the resources it

05:59needs so it's readily available to all Americans. Well I hope it is a priority

06:04and will if confirmed we will work closely with you. Thank you Senator.

06:09Senator Blackburn. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you to each of you.

Gary Peters Asks NASA Nom Point Blank: Would Budget Cuts ‘Undermine’ Missions To The Moon And Mars?

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