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.
Representative Mannion's lack of a direct committee assignment overseeing NASA or space policy, coupled with his stated emphasis on competing federal budget priorities like lowering costs and reducing national debt, suggests he may be cautious about increasing federal spending on NASA science. While he has a strong science education background and has advocated for federal research funding, his public statements often link such investments to clear local economic impact and public health benefits, rather than broad, fundamental space science without a direct, tangible local tie.
However, the presence of significant NASA science contracts and grants within his district provides a strong foundation for advocacy. Local entities like Inficon Inc. are directly involved in planetary science (VIPER), and Syracuse University and SUNY receive grants for Earth science, astrophysics, and biological & physical sciences research. These local investments, which support jobs and scientific advancement in his district, offer a compelling argument to Representative Mannion for protecting and increasing NASA's Science Mission Directorate funding, especially in light of proposed cuts, by demonstrating how such investments directly benefit his constituents and align with his focus on local economic development.
Science Education Background: Representative Mannion's nearly three decades as a high school science teacher, including Advanced Placement Biology and Chemistry, along with his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Science in Secondary Science Education, indicate a strong foundational appreciation for scientific inquiry and STEM fields. (House.gov, 2025-01)
Local Planetary Science Support: A contract with Inficon Inc. in East Syracuse, NY, directly supports the development and testing of NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), demonstrating local engagement with planetary science and exploration programs. (USAspending, FY2022-FY2024)
Local Earth Science Research: Grants awarded to The Research Foundation for the State University of New York and Syracuse University in Syracuse fund NASA Earth science activities, including satellite-derived observations for land cover, temperature, precipitation, snowmelt products, and drought stress response studies. (USAspending, FY2022-FY2024)
Local Astrophysics and Biological & Physical Sciences Research: Syracuse University in Syracuse receives NASA grants for astrophysics research on extragalactic outbursts and for biological and physical sciences work profiling the genomic toolkit of extremophilic amoebae, highlighting diverse local involvement in NASA's Science Mission Directorate. (USAspending, FY2022-FY2024)
Advocacy for Federal Research Funding: Representative Mannion publicly joined Senator Gillibrand in rejecting cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, emphasizing the importance of federal investment in research for local jobs and critical medical advancements, which suggests broader support for federal science funding. (Gillibrand.senate.gov, 2025-02)