IFPTE Calls for Bipartisan Senate Support for NASA and Legislative Branch Funding for Upcoming Fiscal Year
This week, the full Senate Appropriations Committee considered three fiscal year 2026 (FY26) appropriations bills to fund NASA, the Commerce Department (including NOAA), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Congressional Research Service (CRS), as well as several other key agencies and departments. Senate Appropriators passed the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act out of the committee by a strong bipartisan vote of 26 to 1 and also passed the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies Appropriations Act by a unanimous bipartisan vote of 27 to 0.
The Senate Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (CJS), was also considered in the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting and had a 21 to 6 bipartisan support at the start of the meeting, but failed to maintain bipartisan support once a bipartisan amendment was included to keep the future location of FBI headquarters in Maryland. The CJS appropriations bill provides $24.9 billion for NASA for FY26, which is flat with the FY25 spending level and a stark departure from the President’s budget, which cuts 24.3% from NASA, including a disastrous 47% cut to NASA’s science budget. While details on the CJS bill have not been released, IFPTE expects NOAA funding to be equal to FY25 spending levels as well, which again is a departure from the 27% cut in the President’s budget request. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet announced a future date to continue consideration of the CJS funding bill.
The FY26 funding levels passed by Senate Appropriators for GAO and CRS in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act maintain funding at FY25 levels - $812 million for GAO and $136 million for CRS. In a letter to Senate Appropriators from IFPTE Local 1921, representing GAO analysts and administrative staff, the union noted that “GAO provides nonpartisan, objective, and authoritative research and analysis that Members of Congress from across the political spectrum can trust,” and reminded Senators that, “for every dollar invested in GAO and its employees, GAO returns $123 to the government in the form of cost savings and the elimination of government waste.” CRS, represented by CREA/IFPTE Local 75, provides publicly available as well as confidential information for Members of Congress with in-depth, nonpartisan, and objective research services and products, including statutory interpretations, research on legislation and public policy issues, quantitative analysis, workshops, and New Member seminars at the start of a new Congress.
IFPTE and IFPTE federal sector Locals have been working on building bipartisan support that provides necessary and robust funding so that our government agencies and civil service workforce have the resources to support their mission. At a minimum, IFPTE has also urged Congress to reject the Trump Administration’s request to make deep and damaging cuts to Executive Branch agencies that Americans support. While FY25 spending levels (which are an extension of FY24 levels) being extended to FY26, is insufficient and will not provide the adequate resources for federal agencies to carry out their missions, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s approach signals a bipartisan effort that does not defund government oversight functions, surrender strategic leadership in science, or needlessly sacrifice government functions that keep Americans safe and drive economic prosperity.
IFPTE will continue to work with Republicans, Democrats, and independent Members of Congress to make sure lawmakers exercise the power of the purse, as defined by the Constitution, to provide appropriate and responsible funding for federal government services, functions, and missions.
Read IFPTE Local 1921’s letter to Senate Appropriators regarding the GAO FY26 budget.
Read IFPTE’s letter to Senate Appropriators regarding the NASA FY26 budget.