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Statement from John W. Douglass, President and CEO of AIA on the President's FY 2003 Budget

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 4 - The President's FY 2003 budget request reflects a major shift in the nation's priorities and is the first budget prepared to address the war on terrorism. The aerospace industry strongly supports the President's FY 2003 budget for the Defense Department. We are pleased to note that the President's request would significantly increase spending on research and development and procurement. These increases are critical to the modernization of the DoD's aging weapons systems and will be essential for the war on terrorism. We particularly applaud the 11 percent increase in Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E). Planned spending for FY 2003 through FY 2007 exceeds the goal that AIA had laid out several years ago to increase DoD RDT&E by $20 billion over a period of five years.

NASA's budget increased only slightly in the FY 2003 request, which will continue the decade-long erosion of NASA's budget in real terms. This long-term decline undermines America's position in the global commercial aerospace marketplace and limits the pace of modernization of the U.S. civil aviation infrastructure, which is needed to improve safety and security of air transportation. The increase in NASA aeronautics funding in the 2003 budget is a welcome, but small step forward. Some critical programs remain under funded, and we are concerned that funding for continuing the joint NASA/DoD/Industry rotorcraft program has been eliminated. We urge that funding be restored for this program.

AIA will continue to promote better understanding of the importance of NASA aeronautics to our economic and national security. We were very pleased to see that funding for NASA's Space Launch Initiative program remained stable in the 2003 budget.

P.A. Rel 2002-08

02.04.02

-AIA-

Contact: Matt Grimison, AIA
(202) 371-8548
matt.grimison@aia-aerospace.org