Congress: Use Shuttle engines and SRBs to build a vehicle capable of deep space transportation.

Nasa: No that's too costly.

Congress: lol ok we'll slash funding + you legally can't refuse.

If the customer demands it they'll sell their integrity, and damn the taxpayers. I have little sympathy for this.

If this sort of continued honesty-free space program is what Congress + NASA are going to give us, we'd be better off without a manned space program.