BROOK PARK -- U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-10, Cleveland, wants an extra $3 billion awarded to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for human space flight.

Kucinich said the resultant $22 billion for the 2012 budget would restore research "so badly damaged" under the Bush administration.

Kucinich sent supportive letters Sept. 25 to John Holdren, the director of science and technology policy at the White House, and to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr.

Kucinich complained that NASA needed to keep its in-house research and development programs.

"Healthy aeronautics and space R&D programs must once again be the cornerstone" of NASA, Kucinich said.

Kucinich said he feared an expansion of commercial space ventures would lead to more privatization of government functions and loss of civil-service technical jobs.

More outsourcing of NASA’s technical staff duties "must be rejected," Kucinich said in his letter.

Kucinich backs an independent office for research and technology to study microgravity science, space biology and expand the Orion-Ares spacecraft, which is to replace the shuttle in 2015.