1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Fight to increase NASA's direct science funding above current levels — not restore it, increase it. The administration's proposal to slash the Science Mission Directorate nearly 50%, from $7.25 billion to under $3.9 billion, would eliminate over 40 missions and zero out STEM engagement. NASA generates enormous returns on public investment through climate data, Earth observation, and foundational research that no private contractor can replicate. That last point matters. Outsourcing NASA's science work to private industry means handing public assets to shareholders who have no obligation to the American people. NASA is one of the most popular and trusted federal agencies precisely because it operates in the public interest. Boosting exploration funding to $8.5 billion while gutting science to $624 million for space technology is a lopsided bet that hollows out the very foundation exploration depends on. Increase direct NASA science funding — the return on that investment is proven and the public supports it.