A new staff report released by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, alleges that the Trump Administration has been directing NASA to implement proposed budget cuts for Fiscal Year 2026 months before congressional approval. The report, based on whistleblower accounts and internal documents, claims these actions violate constitutional requirements regarding federal spending.
According to the report, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought instructed NASA as early as June 2025 to make institutional changes in line with President Trump’s budget proposal. “NASA Chief of Staff Brian Hughes is enforcing OMB’s directive to actively implement the President’s FY26 budget request. It has been made clear to NASA employees that ‘they are doing the PBR’ and ‘if it’s not in the PBR, it does not count.’” Whistleblower documents indicate plans to use impoundment—delaying or withholding funds—to force compliance with the proposed budget during a continuing resolution.
The report details a culture of fear at NASA resulting from these directives. Whistleblowers say employees are discouraged from raising safety concerns due to fears of retaliation or job loss. One whistleblower stated: “employees are being told to keep their heads down.” Another warned: “We’re expected not to bring safety concerns forward and to not use good judgment. I see safety issues around us all the time.” There have already been reported impacts on safety, with one account expressing concern about a potential astronaut fatality within a few years if current practices continue.
Whistleblowers also allege that communication channels have been restricted, making it difficult for concerns about safety or policy violations to be addressed internally. According to one account: “compliance with the PBR seems to be driven by threats to high level leaders” and that staff have been told they must align with the President’s Budget Request or risk losing their positions.
The proposed cuts could have significant effects beyond NASA operations. The report estimates more than $46 billion in lost economic output, reductions in STEM graduates and researchers, and negative consequences for America’s scientific leadership. Internship programs and student initiatives at NASA are reportedly being ended as part of these measures.
Senate Democrats have introduced legislation aimed at preventing unilateral implementation of presidential budget proposals under a continuing resolution and protecting NASA’s Science Mission Directorate from funding cuts during such periods. A whistleblower cautioned that if current trends persist it “could end up being the destruction of NASA’s mission.”
“Like other premier science agencies, NASA has thrived on consistent, bipartisan investments, which are essential to America’s economic prosperity and technological supremacy,” states the report. “But today, NASA faces an existential threat under the Trump Administration.”
NASA whistleblowers who contributed information emphasized their goal is simply for adherence to legal procedures as intended by Congress.
