Congress rejected the bulk of the White House's proposed cuts for NASA
Kyiv • UNN
Subcommittees of the US House of Representatives and Senate approved NASA budget bills at the level of $24.8-24.9 billion, rejecting the White House's proposal for an almost 25% cut. This will allow maintaining the space agency's funding at the current level.
The responsible budget subcommittee in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a NASA budget bill of $24.8 billion, joining a similar US Senate subcommittee that intends to maintain funding for the space agency after the White House proposed an almost 25% cut, writes UNN with reference to Ars Technica.
Details
The budget bills under consideration by the House of Representatives and the Senate do not specify concrete funding levels for individual programs, but the main figures - $24.8 billion in the House version and $24.9 billion in the Senate bill - are good news for scientists, industry representatives, and space enthusiasts who were preparing for serious cuts requested by the Trump administration, the publication writes.
The spending plan, approved on Tuesday by the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies of the House Appropriations Committee, covers NASA and a host of other federal agencies. The $24.8 billion budget that the House of Representatives is requesting for NASA is $6 billion more than the Trump administration's budget proposal and allows NASA's funding to remain at the current level next year.
The relevant Senate subcommittee on July 9 approved its version of NASA's budget for fiscal year 2026. The Senate bill maintains funding for NASA's science division at $7.3 billion, as in fiscal year 2025, while the House bill cuts it to $6 billion, which is still significantly higher than the $3.9 billion allocated for science in the White House's budget proposal.
The budget, as stated, effectively means a reduction in funding when accounting for inflation. However, proponents of spaceflight and space science welcomed the bills aimed at restoring NASA's budget.
"While the House and Senate still have much to discuss on annual appropriations, one thing is clear: Congress completely rejects the unprecedented, unstrategic, and wasteful cuts to NASA funding and NASA science activities proposed by the White House Office of Management and Budget," reads a statement from the Planetary Society.
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