Representative Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York who represents Owego and who sits on the House defense appropriations subcommittee, criticized the decision as a waste of the $3.2 billion already been spent on the program.
In the current context of a surge in available research funding secondary to the ARRA, this information has important policy implications and could impact decisions on grant appropriations.
Congressional aides say they doubt that Congress will make a final decision on transportation appropriations much before January, if then.
Stay tuned for more budget action as Congress makes final decisions on the FY15 appropriations bills although the way things are going, there may not be a final budget until the end of the year.
In an interview, Mr. Martinez said: "A massive appropriations bill is not the appropriate place to make foreign policy decisions.
But Republicans didn't like the Library of Congress' decision and deemed the appropriations process the right place to overturn it.
"Congress backed this decision and altered NASA's appropriations bill to prevent flags of other nations, or international associations, from being placed on the moon on expeditions funded solely by the U.S.A.," she explains.
Key federal spending decisions are made by the House and Senate appropriations committees, which are headed by Republicans from Florida and Alaska respectively.
In February, however, Ken Pruitt, the House appropriations chairman, wrote to six justices saying, "your decisions continue to be a mockery to the victims and their families".
That's because it will be an authorization bill, which can set policy but only suggest funding levels; final spending decisions are up to Congress's appropriations committees.
