Updated · The Equation - Union of Concerned Scientists · Jun 8
House Restores Over 90% of NOAA Research Funds in FY27 Markups as Trump Seeks 10% Non-Defense Cut
Updated
Updated · The Equation - Union of Concerned Scientists · Jun 8
House Restores Over 90% of NOAA Research Funds in FY27 Markups as Trump Seeks 10% Non-Defense Cut
3 articles · Updated · The Equation - Union of Concerned Scientists · Jun 8
Summary
Initial House FY27 markups rolled back several White House science cuts, restoring over 90% of proposed NOAA research reductions and keeping most agency budgets near FY26 levels.
The biggest remaining hit is at NASA: House lawmakers would trim science funding by $1.25 billion instead of the administration’s proposed $3.3 billion cut, while adding $1.1 billion for exploration.
NSF also fared better than in the president’s request, with the May House markup restoring a little more than half of the proposed reduction after the White House sought a 53% cut to science and research.
The markups reflect bipartisan resistance to an FY27 budget that would slash non-defense spending 10%, boost the Pentagon 47%, and cut or eliminate major science programs across NOAA, EPA, NIST, USGS and DOE.
Congress still must negotiate final spending bills with the Senate before the October 1 fiscal-year deadline, leaving room for further changes and another fight over federal science funding.
Beyond budget cuts, how will the dismissal of the entire National Science Board fundamentally alter the direction of U.S. scientific discovery and innovation?
With research funding redirected, what are the long-term risks to America's economy and its ability to respond to future health or climate crises?
FY27 Budget Showdown: Congress Rejects Trump’s $73 Billion Nondefense Cuts, Safeguards NOAA and Science Agencies
Overview
The Trump administration has proposed deep cuts to nondefense spending for FY27, aiming to reduce or eliminate what it calls 'woke, weaponized, and wasteful programs.' In response, science advocacy groups are urging Congress to reject these cuts, especially those affecting research funding. The House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Subcommittee has advanced its own bill, which was approved along party lines and emphasizes the importance of investing in science to stay competitive with countries like China. However, the initial budget documents lack detailed program-level information, leaving the future of agencies like NOAA uncertain as the budget process continues.