Parker to Rally Support for NASA in Washington D.C.

HOUSTON - From a conference room at city hall, Houston Mayor Annise Parker set her sights on Washington D.C. And a recent decision by the Obama administration to cancel funding for a program that could result in nearly 7,000 lost jobs at Johnson Space Center.

"(The) cancellation of the constellation program has left a lot of uncertainty," said Parker.

In addition to job losses, Parker says the area could face projected economic losses of $560 million. The administration's decision to cut funding for the project was announced last month, and quickly rattled small business owners who operate near the space center.

"It impacts everyone around (JSC)," said Sarah Milstead of Eerma's Nutrition Center. "It's gonna impact the restaurants, the schools, the small businesses like us."

"I believe you'll find that the administration has been surprised at the amount of push back they've received in response to these decisions," said Parker, when asked why she thought her trip would have any impact on a decision that already been made.

According to a NASA related fact sheet found on a White House website, the program is over budget, behind schedule and lacks new technology. It's a description that Parker fears could be said of the nation's fourth largest city, if the budget goes through as planned.

"If you look at the overall city of Houston, there are four major sectors that fuel our economy," she said. "Oil and gas, the Texas Medical Center, (the) Port of Houston and NASA."

White House's Fact Sheet on NASA: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/factsheet_department_NASA/