Congress is moving to restore much of the funding for federal science programs that President Trump sought to drastically reduce in his budget proposals. The planned cuts, which would have slashed overall scientific funding by 22% – from $198 billion to $154 billion – represented the largest proposed reduction in federal science spending since World War II.
Bipartisan Pushback
This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee unveiled a bipartisan package of bills that largely overrides Mr. Trump’s proposed cuts. If the proposed budgets are approved, federal research will receive roughly $188 billion, a decrease of only 4% from the previous year’s budget. Alessandra Zimmermann, a budget analyst at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, described the outcome as “pretty solid,” noting that Congress is “really starting to push back” against the administration’s plans.
Reversal in Basic Research Funding
Perhaps surprisingly, the proposed budget includes a potential increase of over 2% for basic research—the exploratory, fundamental research that drives breakthroughs in areas like healthcare and artificial intelligence. This is a sharp reversal from the Trump administration’s proposal to cut basic research funding by over one-third.
National Science Foundation Funding Protected
The National Science Foundation (NSF), a major sponsor of basic research, also faced substantial cuts under the Trump administration’s plan. The proposal would have reduced the NSF’s budget from $8.8 billion to $3.9 billion—a 56% reduction. The Senate package, however, limits the cut to less than 1%, bringing the NSF’s funding down to $8.75 billion.
The reversal of these proposed cuts signals a strong bipartisan commitment to maintaining federal investment in scientific research, despite the administration’s efforts to significantly reduce spending in this area. The outcome underscores the importance of congressional oversight in preserving critical funding for scientific advancement.
