Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library
gEGU?IUI / /fu{ru
r
THE WHITE HOUSE
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4{ qAtld't &"5
WASHINGTON
r,V '
I
January
21,
L9TA
}ltrUOHANDUl'{ TCR THE PRtrSIDM\IT
Meeting
SLEJECT:
of
vith Dr.
Thomas
Paine, Administrator
NASA
Thursd-ay, January 22, L9Ta 4:OO P.M.
f.
PI]RPOSE
requested" this meeting in o::d.er to expr-^ss his ccnr,"ictions regard-ing the importance of the Space Program as it relates to ycur Ad.ministration and his concern that the recent cuts may prevent the Adm:-nistration frcm maximizing the potential
Dr. Paine has
benefits of the
II.
Program.
BACKGF.OiTTID
A.
By the mid '5Os the NASA bud-get hail- reached a level of$5 ltLtion. Since that time its outlays have been on a d.eclining path r,;ith a prcjected" IY'7I outlay the l.otlest in eight yea::s" Dr. Paine had asked-
frr :utlays cf $l tifficn in Ia ''[j and- iva; init-ally cut back to a $:.8 liLticn level. Subsequently that rvas red-uced- to $3.5 l:.LLicn and in the final bud-get cut it was reduced to $3.4 liffion. B. Dr. Paine took in a spirit of
each of these cuts, up to the last, compLete cocperation. Whl*.1-e. he'
had d"ifferences of opinion as to rn,here-:the..cuts should be mad"e, he d"id- nct t'esist the red"uction. I^/ith rega::d" to the final cut, he d.id resist as he belleved. NASA was bearing a d-isproportionate share of the red.uction. NevertheLess, he continued to express clearly his support of the Administration.