Washington, DC -- Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) successfully spearheaded an effort to include funding for minority students in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Authorization Act, H.R. 3070, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today.

Concerned about NASA’s recent moves to suspend scholarship and internship programs that serve students pursuing degrees in the sciences and engineering, Baca negotiated changes in the bill to make NASA reverse course.

“I am pleased that we were able to save these important programs that and expand opportunities for talented, deserving students,” said Baca.

Baca’s amendments focused on programs that were threatened with elimination:
the Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST) program and for the Scholarships to Service Program (STSP).

Baca noted, “MUST helps talented minority students catch up educationally and professionally with students who are more financially secure, have better access to NASA careers and enjoy other advantages.”

NASA had announced earlier this week that it was suspending MUST. This decision followed the agency’s announcement last month that it would not fund STSP in Fiscal Year 2005. Baca’s amendments require NASA to continue to operate MUST at its $2 million funding level pending a Department of Justice review of the program’s structure and to direct $9 million per year for STSP.

Baca worked closely with fellow members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and reached out to members of the Congressional Black Caucus to marshal support for these programs.

Congressman Baca and some of his colleagues, along with leaders of organizations serving minority students, have grown wary of NASA following a series of troubling funding decisions by agency officials.

In 2004 NASA eliminated direct grants for most minority education groups like the United Negro College Fund, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Hispanic College Fund and others. Instead, the agency replaced the funding with the MUST program, which recently was placed in jeopardy.

NASA falls in the bottom third of federal agencies with regard to employment of Hispanics.

“I am concerned about NASA’s commitment to recruitment and diversity, and I will continue to hold the agency accountable and make sure it fulfills its obligations. MUST and STSP will help NASA train and hire qualified scientists and engineers, including underrepresented minorities,” said Baca.

“NASA faces a challenge in replacing retiring baby boomers, and increasingly it will have to rely on employees from our nation’s rapidly growing Hispanic community. So NASA must take affirmative steps to identify, teach and hire our best and brightest,” he added.

In addition to protecting the scholarship programs, Baca pushed for an amendment to require NASA to collect information on the minority participation rates in all of its educational programs, at primary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels. NASA has previously refused to provide this information despite a CHC congressional inquiry and a request filed by a Hispanic organization under the Freedom of Information Act.

In particular, this amendment will benefit Latino organizations that interact with NASA, including the Center for the Advancement of Hispanics in Science and Engineering Education, the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists, the MESA Engineering Program, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and the Hispanic College Fund.