Alabama lawmakers join NASA bill ceremony

WASHINGTON — Surrounded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including two from Alabama, President Trump signed a $19.5 billion bill Tuesday to fund NASA programs and reaffirm what he called a "national commitment" to "human space exploration."

Trump also hailed the nation's "heroic" and "amazing" astronauts, including those "who have lost their lives" over the decades.

"America's space program has been a blessing to our people and to the entire world," Trump said.

The NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017 authorizes funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Last week, the Trump team proposed a budget that would reduce NASA to $19.1 billion for the year after that.

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