Senate Panel Proposes $24.9 Billion for NASA
The Senate Appropriations Committee's FY2027 science spending bill would fund NASA above the Trump Administration's request.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Space
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The Senate Appropriations Committee released its FY2027 Commerce-Justice-Science bill, proposing $24.874 billion for NASA. The figure is well above the $18.8 billion the Trump Administration requested for the agency.
Why it matters
The gap between the Senate proposal and the Administration's request signals a sharp disagreement over NASA's budget that Congress must resolve before the fiscal year begins. The bill also funds NOAA, the Justice Department, and the National Science Foundation, so its outcome affects several federal agencies at once.
The Senate bill proposes $24.874 billion for NASA in FY2027, slightly above the $24.438 billion Congress approved for FY2026 and well above the $18.8 billion requested by the Trump Administration. The House committee recommended $24.4 billion on May 13, and whether the two chambers converge on a final figure remains unknown.
The players
Senate Appropriations Committee
The Senate committee responsible for drafting federal spending bills, including the annual Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations measure that funds NASA.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the U.S. federal agency responsible for civil space exploration, aeronautics research, and space science.
Trump Administration
The current U.S. presidential administration of President Donald Trump, which requested $18.8 billion for NASA in its FY2027 budget proposal.
The details
The Senate Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee released the bill alongside four other FY2027 appropriations bills. The subcommittee's report says NASA's recent reorganization, which merged and rearranged mission directorates and budget structure, came too late to be incorporated into the bill. The text, explanatory statement, and summary have been posted on the committee's website.
Timeline
May 13: House Appropriations Committee approved its CJS bill recommending $24.4 billion for NASA.
Earlier this year: NASA implemented a major reorganization of its mission directorates and budget structure.
November 13: Senate Appropriations Committee released five FY2027 bills, including the CJS bill.
Roadmap
The Senate proposal would keep NASA's funding near the $24.438 billion Congress approved for FY2026, a level that Congress has effectively treated as a baseline. The gap with the Trump Administration's $18.8 billion request continues a pattern in which Congress has pushed back on proposed cuts to federal science and space programs.
For NASA contractors, university researchers, and the workers tied to agency programs, the final appropriation determines whether funding rises, holds steady, or falls. The difference between the House's $6 billion for science and the Administration's $3.9 billion request will shape which research programs continue.
The takeaway
Congress has so far rejected the deepest proposed cuts to NASA, but the final number will depend on negotiations that have not yet been scheduled. Tracking the full committee's markup is the next signal of where funding will land.
Further reading
For more on the agency at the center of the funding fight, see our Space coverage of NASA's missions and budget.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SpacePolicyOnline.
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