Congress moves to reject bulk of White House’s proposed NASA cuts

In a significant move, a budget committee in the House of Representatives approved a NASA budget bill amounting to $24.8 billion on Tuesday. This decision aligns with a similar effort by a Senate subcommittee to uphold funding for the space agency, despite the White House's ambitious proposal calling for a nearly 25 percent reduction. While the bills advancing through both chambers do not detail specific allocations for individual projects, the overall figures—$24.8 billion from the House and $24.9 billion from the Senate—provide a glimmer of hope for scientists, industry stakeholders, and space aficionados who were bracing for severe cuts suggested by the Trump administration. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies has crafted a spending plan that encompasses NASA along with several other federal bodies. The proposed budget for NASA not only matches this year's funding but also exceeds the Trump administration's request by $6 billion. On July 9, the Senate subcommittee also passed its version of NASA's budget for the fiscal year 2026. Notably, the Senate’s proposal sustains funding for NASA's science division at $7.3 billion, consistent with fiscal year 2025. In contrast, the House bill suggests a reduced allocation of $6 billion, which still significantly surpasses the $3.9 billion earmarked for science in the White House's budget. Although a flat budget may seem stable, it effectively translates to a funding cut when inflation is taken into account. Nevertheless, advocates for space exploration and science have welcomed the proposed bills aimed at restoring NASA’s budget. The Planetary Society issued a statement affirming, "Congress is rejecting the full extent of the unprecedented, unstrategic, and wasteful cuts to NASA and NASA science proposed by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget." Despite this positive momentum, there remains an urgent call from NASA supporters for Congress to finalize a comprehensive appropriations bill. NASA has already instructed teams to devise "closeout plans" for numerous missions that are at risk of cancellation under the proposed budget cuts by the Trump administration. Many scientists view this as a strategic effort by the administration to eliminate as many NASA science missions as possible ahead of the upcoming fiscal year's budget approval.