WASHINGTON, DC (July 18, 2025) – Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08), and Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) led a group of bipartisan lawmakers in urging National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Acting Administrator Sean Duffy to refrain from taking actions to implement a drastic 47% cut proposed in the President’s FY2026 budget request for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), encourage or effectuate actions to meet proposed workforce reductions in the FY2026 budget request, or eliminate vital NASA programs until Congress enacts full-year appropriations for FY2026 through September 30th, 2026.
“There is much at stake. NASA’s strength and its science mission have implications for America’s geopolitical, economic, and national security interests. If ultimately enacted, the FY2026 proposal would represent an historic setback with far reaching consequences for U.S. research, industrial capabilities and educational opportunities all of which would cede our global leadership in space and Earth science to adversaries such as China and jeopardize America’s envied standing in the world for decades to come,” the Members wrote in the letter.
In the bipartisan letter, the Members assert the importance of NASA's science missions in driving the development of new technologies and supporting a robust STEM workforce, including NASA’s role in helping to inspire and train the next generation of scientists and engineers, writing, “The proposed funding cuts to SMD (not to mention the FY2026 request’s proposal to zero-out NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, including the Space Grant College and Fellowship Program) would disrupt this STEM pipeline. These reckless cuts would undermine opportunities to grow the pool of skilled talent needed to ensure America’s future competitiveness in critical sectors and emerging technologies, including quantum and artificial intelligence, and would risk eliminating pathways, especially for students and early-career researchers, that feed the STEM pipeline.”
The Members also highlight that NASA’s leadership in space science has fostered valuable partnerships and cemented U.S. influence in global scientific collaboration, partnerships that have enabled NASA to carry out many ambitious missions that would not otherwise have been possible to conduct independently.
The Members noted, “Abandoning major missions in operation or under development—such as the Atmospheric Observing System, the VERITAS mission to Venus, and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory—as proposed in NASA’s FY2026 request, would not only waste billions already spent but also damage relationships with our international partners who could look elsewhere to replace once-critical U.S. commitment and expertise.”
The Members continued, “We are particularly concerned about alleged internal actions at NASA that could set in motion the proposed FY2026 cuts prior to Congress acting on an FY2026 appropriation for NASA. For example, NASA has reportedly asked leaders of some operating science missions to prepare close out plans and “should ‘assume closeout is complete within 3 months.’” Administration actions to impede Congress’s constitutional authority cannot go unchecked.”
In closing the bipartisan letter, the Members wrote, “We expect you, in your role as Acting Administrator, to ensure that any effort to implement proposed FY2026 cuts to NASA Science or to align NASA Science programs and projects in the current fiscal year 2025 with the FY2026 proposal be stopped immediately. The proposed cuts to NASA Science in the FY2026 budget request are cause enough for significant concern. However, the prospect of actions to implement these damaging cuts during the current 2025 fiscal year is even more alarming and would stand in direct violation of Congress’ role. As a reminder, it is Congress who holds constitutional authority of power of the purse.”
The letter was signed by Reps. Adams, Amo, Bacon, Balint, Barragan, Beyer, Bishop, Bonamici, Boyle, Brownley, Brown, Carbajal, Carson, Carter, Case, Chu, Clarke, Cleaver, Cohen, Davis, Dingell, Evans, Figures, Foster, Foushee, Friedman, Gillen, Houlahan, Hoyer, Ivey, Jacobs, Jayapal, Kamlager-Dove, Kaptur, Robin Kelly, Liccardo, Lynch, McBride, McClain Delaney, McClellan, McGovern, McIver, Mfume, Moulton, Nadler, Norton, Pappas, Pettersen, Rivas, Ross, Salinas, Schakowsky, Simon, Smith, Sorensen, Soto, Stevens, Strickland, Subramanyam, Tokuda, Tonko, Tran, Whitesides.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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