Posted by tourdemars to Budget at February 2, 2003 12:00 PM

The shuttle Columbia explosion will bring needed scrutiny to the nation's space policy, lawmakers and space advocates said Saturday. "The American people have been lulled into a false sense of security by the effectiveness and diligence of our NASA team," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. "The space program has been on the back burner for the last 10 years for our political leadership."