NASA's science budget survives White House cuts after fierce advocacy pushback

Proposed cuts to NASA’s science budget have faced strong opposition from lawmakers and advocacy groups. By mid-November 2025, both the House and Senate had largely rejected the White House’s plans to slash funding. The pushback came after months of campaigning by organisations like The Planetary Society, led by budget analyst Casey Dreier. Dreier played a key role in tracking and publicising the proposed reductions. He identified around $315 million in NASA grants and contracts at risk due to cuts announced by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His research also revealed that, if approved, the cuts would have left NASA with its smallest overall budget since 1961 and its smallest science budget since 1984.

Dreier shared his findings widely, detailing which missions and programmes faced cancellation under the fiscal year 2026 budget request. The Planetary Society then organised a ‘Save NASA Science Day of Action’ in October 2025, bringing nearly 300 people to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional staff. Their efforts coincided with broader resistance in Congress, where pending bills now aim to maintain NASA’s science funding at or near its 2025 level. The work of Dreier and The Planetary Society was later recognised at the 8th annual SpaceNews Icon Awards. The ceremony, held on December 2, 2025, at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., honoured contributions to space advocacy and policy.

The rejection of the White House’s proposed cuts means NASA’s science budget is likely to remain stable for now. Dreier’s data-driven advocacy, combined with public and congressional action, helped prevent reductions that would have set funding back decades. The outcome reflects ongoing support for NASA’s research and exploration missions.