This is a joke as long as the US is dependent on Russia to launch astronauts into LEO. We can't claim to have 'severed' ties with Russian science and still rely on them for one of the most important parts of our space programs. Such are the penalties of not investing in the space program - we could have had manned launches with the SLS early next year if the original budget was kept. Instead, we are looking at continued dependence on the Russians until 2017 at the earliest.

NASA's manned space program is rapidly becoming a joke, but with companies like SpaceX working to filling the gap, Washington doesn't see the need to invest in it. A similar pattern can be seen all throughout American science - the government is content letting the private sector fund research, when in reality the private sector is unable or unwilling to fund those endeavors which are most important.