8 0 s . ▁Se vent een ▁sh aft s ▁were ▁s unk ▁and ▁ ▁of ▁tunnel ▁were ▁b ored ▁by ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁ ▁Can cellation ▁During ▁the ▁design ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁construction ▁stage , ▁a ▁he ated ▁debate ▁en su ed ▁about ▁the ▁high ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁project . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁Congress ▁was ▁told ▁the ▁project ▁could ▁be ▁completed ▁for ▁$ 4 . 4 ▁billion , ▁and ▁it ▁gained ▁the ▁enthus i astic ▁support ▁of ▁Spe aker ▁Jim ▁Wright ▁of ▁nearby ▁Fort ▁W orth , ▁Texas . ▁A ▁rec urr ing ▁argument ▁was ▁the ▁contrast ▁with ▁NASA ' s ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁International ▁Space ▁Station ▁( I SS ), ▁a ▁similar ▁doll ar ▁amount . ▁Crit ics ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁( C ong ress men ▁representing ▁other ▁US ▁states ▁and ▁ ▁scient ists ▁working ▁in ▁non - SS C ▁fields ▁who ▁felt ▁the ▁money ▁would ▁be ▁better ▁spent ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁fields ) ▁ ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁US ▁could ▁not ▁afford ▁both ▁of ▁them . ▁Early ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁a ▁group ▁supported ▁by ▁funds ▁from ▁project ▁contract ors ▁organized ▁a ▁public ▁relations ▁campaign ▁to ▁lo bb y ▁Congress ▁directly , ▁but ▁in ▁June , ▁the ▁non - pro fit ▁Project ▁on ▁Government ▁O vers ight ▁released ▁a ▁draft ▁aud it ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy ' s ▁Ins pect or ▁General ▁heavily ▁critic izing ▁the ▁Super ▁Coll ider ▁for ▁its ▁high ▁costs ▁and ▁poor ▁management ▁by ▁officials ▁in