After months of advocacy, extensive negotiations, and a record-breaking government shutdown, Congress has at last passed fiscal year 2026 budget appropriations for the agencies covered by the Commerce, Justice, Science and Energy and Water subcommittees. The appropriations bills include DOE, NASA, NIST, and NSF.
In an extremely difficult budget landscape, congressional leaders from both parties have backed science funding. The president proposed cutting NSF by more than 50% and NASA by 47%; the final numbers amount to a cut of less than 4% and 1% respectively.
Science funding for 2027 is likely to be another challenging battle, so we must strengthen our alliances and champions. Now, it’s important we show Congress we appreciate their support.