mr. bolden: yes, ma'am. sen. mikulski: thank you very much. >> mr. chairman, thank you for the excellent job you're doing. i especially want to complement barbara mikulski for her outstanding service on this committee and how much we are going to miss her. it won't be as much fun and probably not near as effective as it has been. we will work together and try to live up to the statute. we appreciate the good work of the administrator of nasa as well. this is one of those situations where our committee has the opportunity to learn more about these programs under the jurisdiction of the committee that have such long-lasting and far-reaching consequences. we need to get it right, we need to be sure that we understand the best in our national interest, and that we provide the funding that is needed for the important programs that come under the jurisdiction of this committee. i want to congratulate barbara and think our distinguished witness for his service. mr. bolden: thank you very much. >> i too would like to add my voice of admiration and gratitude

mr. bolden: i agree with that sentiment exactly. that is the plea we have made. being counting on ula able to get the number of engines that will satisfy the requirements for nasa to fly the dream chaser in 2019. more quickly, to fly the boeing cst-100 star liner. the american industry has risen to the occasion, when you look jeff bezosgin and and what he is doing with the team there, they helped develop a new launch system. i think you heard far too much that we don't gain by developing a rocket without a full system in which it is integrated. we support what secretary james has said. also the position of the secretary of defense, is it not? also the national director of national intelligence and others. bolden: that is correct. she speaks for all of us although she does not speak for civil space for it and i are in lockstep for that. sen. shelby: getting into , nearlyetionary funding 5% of nasa's budget proposal is comprised of funding gimmicks which are contingent upon tax increases and other legislation that is yet or maybe will never be enacted by congress.

administrator bolden, your written testimony will be made part of the record in its entirety. you proceed as you wish. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman and members of the committee. i am pleased to be here today to discuss with you president obama's $19 billion fqy 2017 budget request for nasa. it's been my honor to serve as the nasa administrator throughout the obama administration and as we submit what is likely my final budget, i'm proud of the many things this agency has accomplished on behalf of the american people with the resources the president and the congress have committed to us over the past seven years. i also wish to personally join you, mr. chairman, in recognizing senator mikulski for her leadership throughout her service in congress and her dedication to a robust balanced and bipartisan nasa program. senator mikulski, as i told you earlier, you will be sorely missed. together we have nablngd our nation to continue leading the world in space exploration and scientific discovery. last week american astronaut scott kelly returned home from the international space station after 12 months working off the earth f