Keith’s note: On 21 November Rep. Lofgren (D-CA), ranking minority member on the House Science Committee, sent a letter requesting that the NASA OIG look into cancellations and closures at NASA Goddard. NASA OIG has now responded with a short report and Lofgren has commented on that report. Quotes and original letters below.
- Lofgren’s 29 June 2026 response to the NASA OIG review: “This 4-page memo says little and has done nothing to assuage my concerns. I am committed to continuing the necessary oversight, and asking the hard questions that need to be answered, to ensure that Goddard can continue to serve as the world’s preeminent center for scientific achievement in space.”
- NASA OIG response: “During our limited review, we did not identify any laws, regulations, or Agency policies that prohibited the accelerated relocations and closures at Goddard. As it pertains to actions taken during the lapse in appropriations, Center management followed an Agency-developed process to receive approvals for select staff to be excepted from furlough status for relocation activities. Additionally, the Center did not issue any new contracts or task orders during the government shutdown for the moves, and all physical moves were within the scope of existing contracts.”
- Original Lofgren letter: “We write to request that your office initiate a formal audit of NASA’s management of the Goddard Space Flight Center. Specifically, we request that your office evaluate the agency’s recent actions regarding the relocation and closure of buildings, laboratories, facilities, equipment, and personnel at Goddard, including (but not limited to) the main Goddard campus in Greenbelt, Maryland. As Members of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (“the Committee”), we are deeply concerned that the agency’s actions are degrading Goddard’s scientific and technical capabilities, and that they may be inflicting long-term damage on Goddard’s ability to carry out its responsibilities and NASA’s ability to carry out the responsibilities that have been given to it by Congress. We are also troubled by the lack of transparency that has characterized NASA’s implementation of these closures and relocations, both towards Congress and towards affected Goddard employees themselves. We believe an independent audit is necessary to determine the true impact of the recent – and ongoing – disruptions at Goddard. Such an audit would greatly assist the Committee as it considers the steps that will be necessary to ensure Goddard continues to serve as a pillar of NASA science, engineering, and space flight, and a world-class research and development facility.”
