Activist Group Delivers Thousands Of Constituent Letters To Capitol Hill

The Institute for Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization, says it delivered thousands of constituent letters to Capitol Hill Thursday, directed at two embattled members of Congress for what the group says is their lack of fiscal restraint.

U.S. Representatives Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ8) and Alan Grayson (D-FL8) both have voiced support for HR5781, the NASA Authorization Act of 2010.  But in a news conference and press release issued Thursday, IFL said their constituents oppose the bill, which the organization says adds billions of unnecessary pork-barrel dollars to NASA’s budget, over the objections of the Senate and leading space scientists.

“The bill is worse than a sham,” said Andrew Langer, President of IFL. “It is a travesty of incredible proportions. Despite the advice of Nobel Prize winners and Buzz Aldrin, Congressman Giffords is continuing to support worthless programs at NASA, programs that have not gotten us any closer to our goals in space, while continuing to outsource our manned space flights to Russia!”

IFL says it polled households in Arizona’s 8th and Florida’s 8th congressional districts early last week, asking for permission to send letters on their behalf. Thousands reportedly agreed to lend their names to the effort, inundating both offices with messages of opposition.

“Pork is pork, as far as Americans are concerned,” Langer continued.  “While people continue to be enthusiastic about the nation’s space program, they want that money spent wisely, on concrete and measurable goals that will be historic. But this bill, and the vision it endorses, go against all that.  We say, ‘No Space Pork!’ and will continue to fight hard to ensure that!”

The Institute for Liberty says it is is a non-profit policy organization, involved in grassroots activism and focusing on small business, entrepreneurship, and federal public policy.

FMI: www.instituteforliberty.org