NASA Budget Cuts Proposed for FY20

On March 11, 2019, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Trump Administration’s proposed budget for the U.S. Government in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. The proposal would increase funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) by $283 million or 1.4 percent compared to FY2019 levels.

While total funding for NASA would increase, several key research programs would face cuts. The budget proposal indicates that funds will be transferred from “lower priority science and education programs to higher priorities.” In particular:

“Consistent with prior budgets, the [FY2020] Budget provides no funding for the WFIRST space telescope, two Earth science missions, and the Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement.”

Update: 

On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed H.R. 1158 -- the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 -- into law. Title 3 of Division B of H.R. 1158 provides $22.6 billion in funding for NASA in FY2020. That includes $7.14 billion in funding for space science, an increase of 3.4 percent or $233 million over FY2019 levels. Notably, Congress rejected the Trump administration's proposal to cancel the WFIRST program, and close the Office of STEM Engagement. H.R. 1158 provides $510.7 million for WFIRST and $120 million for the Office of STEM Engagement.