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2h ago

Bill Nye Leads Capitol Hill Push To Block Deep NASA Cuts During Shutdown

Congressional bills largely keep NASA at current funding levels, setting up a clash with the White House request.

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Overview

  • The Planetary Society’s Day of Action brought more than 300 advocates and roughly 20 partner organizations to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to reject the FY2026 reductions.
  • The Trump administration’s proposal would cut NASA’s topline by about 24% to $18.8 billion and reduce the Science Mission Directorate by roughly 47%.
  • More than 40 missions were flagged for termination in the proposal, including Mars Sample Return, MAVEN and Juno, as advocates warned of ceding U.S. leadership to competitors such as China.
  • House and Senate appropriators have advanced plans that hold NASA near the FY2025 level of about $24.8 billion, with House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole saying the agency’s funding is fully protected, though a final agreement has not been enacted.
  • NASA operations are already constrained by a government shutdown, with news reports saying roughly 85% of staff are furloughed, and a recent report by Sen. Maria Cantwell said OMB has begun implementing proposed cuts before Congress acts.