The Senate voted to provide billions more to NASA, NOAA and the National Science Foundation than the president had asked for.
In a rebuff of the Trump administration’s proposal to drastically cut funding for federal science agencies, the Senate voted on Thursday to provide billions of dollars more to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA and the National Science Foundation than the president had asked for.
In an 82-15 vote, the Senate approved a minibus budget bill to fund agencies involved in science and the environment, among other issues, through Sept. 30. The bill passed in the House last week by a vote of 397 to 28.
Had Congress followed the Trump administration’s budget request, it would have slashed the National Science Foundation’s budget by 57%, and funding for the portion of NASA dedicated to science research by about 47%, according to a bill summary from Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. NOAA, which oversees the National Weather Service, faced a 27% cut, according to congressional testimony last summer.