The Senate Wednesday spared the space station even though opponents asserted that Russian participation may increase the program's cost rather than save money.
The vote was 64-36 against an amendment by Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., to delete funding for the multibillion-dollar project.Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, whose state would be one of the biggest beneficiaries, pleaded for senators to defeat the Bumpers amendment "by such overwhelming numbers that we don't have this debate next year."
The vote came as the Senate debated a bill that includes $14.4 billion in funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration next year.