NASA Is Not Waiting For A Budget To Make Big Changes
Keith’s note: According to White House looks to freeze more agency funds — and expand executive power in Politico: “OMB’s targets include NSF research and education programs that operate using funding leftover from 2024. Also on the list are … more than $100 million in science spending at NASA, which includes climate research.” Meanwhile, internal agency sources report that NASA is already implementing aspects of FY 2026 budget request – now – sometimes using FY 2025 dollars. And they are emboldened in so doing by various Executive Orders from the White House and loyalists on the 9th floor. NASA is acting as if FY 2026 request is the de facto operating plan going forth. Dozens of NASA mission teams are scrambling to complete shutdown plans to make it easier for NASA to start flipping the OFF switch on short notice. The plan is to implement all of the shutdowns etc. effective on 1 October 2025 i.e. as FY 2026 begins – regardless of what the actual status of a real FY 2026 Congressional budget is. By the time there’s a formal budget it will be too late to reverse most – if not all – of these layoffs, shutdowns, and cancellations. Of course, NASA also has RIF plans – but they use euphemisms to say that they don’t. Since not enough people are leaving, something has to give. And don’t count on Congress to come to the agency’s rescue. It’s going to be a long hot summer y’all, so Embrace THAT Challenge.
8 responses to “NASA Is Not Waiting For A Budget To Make Big Changes”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
If they have RIF plans (and I believe that they do) why would they not just be upfront about it? Playing coy that they’re “reeeeally trrryiiing” to avoid RIFs benefits nobody. It keeps the workforce in the dark, and it will make the A-suite fall short of their voluntary separation targets.
To take the heat off of Congress people until the BBB is passed?
This all goes back to Russell Bought who is ignoring the Impoundment Law.
What happens if Congress restores a good deal of the Science budget, along with other projects?
Is similar happening at any other agency? It feels like NASA is the sacrificial lamb test case to see how far they can push their limits.
They have been preparing for a RIF for at least a couple of months. Why else would NSSC contact me in April about documentation of my Veteran’s Preference? Nobody had ever contacted me about my personnel file before. Where is the transparency, Janet? Embrace the Chaos!
There was an article in GovExec back in April that NASA was “hoping” to avoid RIFs, but still had a team combing through personnel records to prepare for them. Not sure who their source was, but they’re more honest than the town hall.
Janet Petro is a disgrace.
Hey, it’s what the American people voted for….
Let them now reap the whirlwind.