On Tuesday, Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, introduced legislation that would fund NASA for FY2014 and end the current furlough of the space agency’s workforce.

Brooks, the vice-chairman of the Space Subcommittee, explained that his support for the measure is the result of extenuating circumstances brought on by the government shutdown.

“Today I introduced a bill to protect NASA’s workforce, which is important to both America’s economic well-being and its national security,” Brooks said in a statement. “While I do not generally support continuing resolutions as the best way to fund the government, the current shutdown has forced us to propose alternative solutions until responsible funding bills have passed both houses of Congress and have been signed into law by the President. This bill provides the stability necessary to continue working on important NASA programs.”

In 2012, NASA had an estimated $2.8 billion impact on Alabama’s economy according to Gene Goldman, then- Acting Director of Huntsville’s Marshall Space Flight Center. According to Lee Roop of the Huntsville Times, 2,374 civil servants were employed at NASA’s Huntsville facilities as of Sept. 30.

Brooks’ effort has the co-sponsorship of House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Science Space and Technology Committee Vice Chairman Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif. and Space Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss.

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