Science Escapes Largest Cuts in Latest Budget Bills

Research & Developments is a blog for brief updates that provide context for the flurry of news regarding law and policy changes that impact science and scientists today.

Today, top appropriators in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives released a three-bill appropriations package for fiscal year 2026 (FY26) that largely rejects drastic cuts to federal science budgets that President Trump proposed last year. The “minibus” package, negotiated and agreed upon by both political parties, outlines a budget that preserves most, but not all, funding for key science programs related to space, weather, climate, energy, and the environment across multiple agencies.

“This is a fiscally responsible package that restrains spending while providing essential federal investments that will improve water infrastructure in our country, enhance our nation’s energy and national security, and spur scientific research necessary to maintain U.S. competitiveness,” Susan Collins (R–ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement.

In May 2025, President Trump released a budget request to Congress that proposed slashing billions of dollars in federal science funding. However, during the many rounds of meetings throughout the year, appropriators in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle seemed disinclined to follow the proposed budget, including when it came to funding for climate research, clean energy initiatives, environmental protections, and other topics that run counter to administration priorities.

This new three-bill package follows suit in rejecting many of the president’s more drastic cuts to science programs.

“This package rejects President Trump’s push to let our competitors do laps around us by slashing federal funding for scientific research by upwards of 50% and killing thousands of good jobs in the process,” Vice Chair Senator Patty Murray (D–WA) said in a statement. “It protects essential funding for our public lands, rejects steep proposed cuts to public safety grants that keep our communities safe, and boosts funding for key flood mitigation projects.”

Here’s how some Earth and space science agencies fare in this package:

• Department of Energy (DOE) Non-Defense: $16.78 billion, including $8.4 billion for its Office of Science, $3.1 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, and $190 million for protecting the nation’s energy grids.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): $8.82 billion, preserving funding to state-level programs that protect access to clean water, drinking water, and air. The bill also retains funding for the Energy Star energy efficiency labelling program and increases funding to state and Tribal assistance grant programs.
• NASA: $24.44 billion, including $7.25 for its science mission directorate, which would have seen a 47% decrease under the President’s budget request. The bills maintain funding for 55 missions that would have been cut, as well as for STEM engagement efforts and Earth science research that similarly would’ve been cut. It also increases spending for human exploration.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): $1.847 billion, including funds to advance research into carbon dioxide removal.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): $6.171 billion, including $1.46 billion to the National Weather Service to improve forecasting abilities and boost staffing. The budget also earmarks funds to preserve weather and climate satellites, and maintain climate and coastal research.
• National Park Service (NPS): $3.27 billion, with enough money to sustain FY24 staffing levels at national parks.
• National Science Foundation (NSF): $8.75 billion, including $7.18 billion for research-related activities. That would support nearly 10,000 new awards and more than 250,000 scientists, technicians, teachers, and students.
• U.S. Forest Service (USFS): $6.13 billion, with just under half of that put toward wildfire prevention and management. Funded programs not related to wildfire prevention include forest restoration, forest health management, hazardous fuels reduction, and repurposing unnecessary roads as trails.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): $1.42 billion, including money to maintain active satellites and topographical mapping programs.

This is the latest, but not the last, step in finalizing science funding for FY26. The bills now head out of committee to be voted upon by the full chambers of the Senate and House, reconciled between chambers, and then signed by the president.

—Kimberly M. S. Cartier (@astrokimcartier.bsky.social), Staff Writer

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