They are giving more consideration to the issue bootstrapping up and sustaining some capability to a fixed budget. They still haven't given me a real reason for their presence other than to have something for our manned program to do. They probably went as far as they thought they could while not killing the sacred cow.

Until we have real goals (colonization, building power stations, doing experiments to support private space travel), this will continue to be an artificially derived program. I am willing to run some deficit for its inspirational and educational value, but not 100's of billions.