Note: This analysis uses AI to help identify potential outreach strategies for space science issues. Because it uses AI, it is important to understand the sources and limitations of this analysis.
Space-related committee assignments (if present), and additional sources (if present), are from congress.gov and a direct output of a targeted web search.
Opportunities, challenges, overall summary, and preparation recommendations are products of AI analyses. The biography uses AI to summarize key aspects of the member's Wikipedia page.
All AI-generated claims, assessments, and recommendations should be independently verified.
This is an experimental feature, and intended to provide guidance and inspiration for outreach strategies for your meeting. Feedback is welcome: casey.dreier@planetary.org.
NASA-related Committee Assignments or Caucuses
Member, House Committee on Appropriations
Overall Summary
Representative Lee's role on the House Appropriations Committee and her district's significant NASA contracts, particularly for logistics supporting Earth and space science missions and the Mars sample return campaign, present clear opportunities for engagement. Her support for local research investment and alignment with Earth science goals further suggest potential receptiveness to NASA's scientific endeavors.
However, her primary focus on local issues like healthcare and water, coupled with her specific subcommittee assignments on Defense and Energy & Water, indicate that NASA science may not be a top priority. The absence of proactive advocacy for increased NASA science funding and her willingness to oppose general funding bills pose challenges, suggesting a need for strong, localized arguments to gain her explicit support.
Preparation Recommendations
Consider highlighting how increased NASA science investment directly supports the significant logistics and technical services contracts in her district, like those with Trax International and HSG, LLC, which create local jobs and economic activity.
Explore how NASA's space science missions inspire students and foster STEM education pathways in Nevada, aligning with her extensive background in youth development and dropout prevention.
Look into how increased investment in NASA's Earth Science activities can provide critical data and research to support her stated priorities regarding public lands and combating climate change, leveraging her role on the Appropriations Committee.
About Susie Lee
Earned BA in Policy Management and MS in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon.
Founding director of After-School All-Stars, focusing on youth programs.
Chaired Communities in Schools of Nevada, a dropout prevention organization.
Her father was a structural engineer and Korean War veteran.
Held stock in a casino company led by her former husband.
Opportunities
Appropriations Committee Influence: Representative Lee's position as a Member of the House Committee on Appropriations provides her with direct involvement in federal funding decisions, including those impacting NASA's budget for science and exploration programs. (House.gov, 2024)
Local NASA Science and Exploration Contracts: Her district benefits from significant NASA contracts, such as those awarded to Trax International Corporation in Las Vegas for logistics supporting "Earth science, space science, and exploration mission requirements," and to HSG, LLC for the "Mars sample return campaign." (USAspending, FY2022-FY2024)
Support for Local Research Investment: Representative Lee voted to pass a bipartisan government funding package for Fiscal Year 2024 that included over $4.5 million to advance "UNLV's cutting-edge research," demonstrating support for federal investment in scientific and technological endeavors within her district. (House.gov, 2024)
Alignment with Earth Science Goals: Her public advocacy for protecting public lands and combating climate change aligns with the objectives of NASA's Earth Science division, which provides crucial data and research for environmental monitoring and climate understanding. (House.gov, 2024)
Challenges
Competing Local Priorities: Representative Lee's public record consistently emphasizes her focus on local issues such as affordable healthcare, public education, water resources, and economic development for Southern Nevada, which may divert her primary attention from advocating for increased NASA science and exploration funding.
Appropriations Subcommittee Focus: As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, her specific assignments on the Defense and Energy & Water subcommittees align with stated priorities of strengthening Nevada's defense contractors, water security, and clean energy economy, rather than directly championing NASA's Science Mission Directorate or exploration programs.
Lack of Proactive Advocacy for NASA Science Growth: While her district benefits from NASA contracts, there is no recent public record of Representative Lee explicitly advocating for increased investment in NASA's Science Mission Directorate activities or exploration programs, or actively rejecting cuts to these specific areas.
Willingness to Oppose Funding Bills: Representative Lee voted "Nay" on the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026, indicating a willingness to oppose general government funding measures, which could potentially impact future NASA appropriations if tied to contentious legislation.