Former television host Bill Nye “The Science Guy” visited Capitol Hill on Monday to advocate against President Trump’s budget for NASA.
He’s the CEO of the Planetary Society, a non-profit space organization.
President Trump’s budget proposal for NASA would cut the agency’s funding by 24 percent from fiscal year 2025 to fiscal year 2026. In fiscal 2025, the agency received $24.8 billion in funding. The White House proposed $18.8 billion for the next fiscal year.
“NASA science is a bargain,” Nye said. “For every dollar spent, at least three come back into the economy.”
But the appropriations committees in the House and Senate have largely left NASA’s budget in place in their own proposals. Both plans leave NASA funding at roughly $24.8 billion for the next fiscal year.
“NASA funding is fully protected,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
“We can do the best of both projects — both appropriations bills, and really come out with a great NASA budget,” said Casey Dreier, the chief of space policy for the Planetary Society. “This is where we get to go and say thank you to the work they’ve done, and let’s get this over the finish line.”
Dreier said he hopes Congress follows through and passes a NASA budget that is closer to current levels.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said in a report released last week that she believes the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has already started implementing the cuts to NASA proposed in the president’s budget request.
Dreier noted that the cuts complicate the view of Congress’s proposal for the NASA budget.
“Any year prior to this one, we’d be popping our bottles of champagne open right now,” he said. “There’s far more uncertainty about cuts that could be made before Congress has a chance to fully weigh in.”
Nye explained that space research is vital to life on Earth.
“Everybody talks about where the hurricanes are going,” the scientist said. “Everybody uses the internet. Everybody uses digital cameras. All these things are derived from NASA.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
