After posting a call to action last Friday and inundating Hoyer with calls to preserve NASA by passing Senate Bill 3729, House Science Committee Chair Bart Gordon released a statement agreeing to bring S3729 to the floor. In short, it worked, great job guys! Phil Plait has a great rundown of the bill at Bad Astronomy:
The quick version: I support this bill, and I urge people to call their Representative and ask them to vote for it. I’ve already called my Congressman and asked him to support it. The longer version ...
The procedure the House will use today demands a two-thirds majority to pass the bill. NASA is fairly popular among lawmakers, S3729 is one of those rarest of legislative creatures -- a fully bipartisan, sensible bill -- and will garner votes from both parties. But getting two-thirds of the House to agree on anything is still a hurdle. And some people are openly working for it to fail. If it fails, not only might the GOP blame Obama and the dems for "killing NASA," the agency will fall under greater scrutiny of budget-slashing tea sippers who don't particularly care for government orgs in the first place, let alone one that documents the age of the universe or the global effect of greenhouse gases.
It'll be much easier for your representative, Republican or Democrat, to vote for S3729 if they hear from you.
If you're an earth sciences or space exploration fan, please take a moment to call the House switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for your Representatives' office, and ask that Rep to "Secure NASA's future by voting Yes on S3729."
See also sci-fi writer Bill's White's diary, author of Platinum Moon.