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Bill Nye Leads Capitol Hill Protest, Warns Proposed NASA Cuts Threaten U.S. Space Leadership
Washington D.C. – Science advocate Bill Nye, alongside hundreds of supporters, converged on Capitol Hill Monday to voice strong opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts for NASA. Nye argued that Congress has a fundamental obligation to foster scientific progress and that any reduction in funding would severely jeopardize the nation’s standing in global space exploration.
Nye, the CEO of The Planetary Society and former host of “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” warned that if NASA Science funding were reduced, “The United States would cede leadership to other countries, especially [the] China National Space Administration.” In a subsequent interview, he emphasized that NASA’s budget represents a mere “sliver of the pie” within the nearly $1.7 trillion federal budget, amounting to less than 0.1%. He further stated, “the return is extraordinary,” asserting that the agency’s investment yields significant benefits.
The White House’s budget proposal, issued earlier this year, suggests a 25% cut to NASA’s funding for fiscal year 2026, decreasing it from approximately $24 billion to $18.8 billion. Nye and the estimated 300 space advocates present on Monday highlighted that such cuts would imperil numerous critical missions. Among those at risk are the Perseverance Mars rover and the ambitious Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon after more than half a century.
Despite the proposed reductions, NASA’s acting administrator, Sean Duffy, expressed confidence last month in the U.S. winning the “second space race” back to the moon, surpassing China. Duffy also alluded to the possibility that members of a newly introduced class of 10 NASA astronaut candidates could eventually be among the first Americans to walk on Mars, though he conceded that such flights are not yet planned and unlikely within the next decade.
Nye countered this optimism by referencing the recent discovery of rocks by the Perseverance Mars rover, which may contain signs of ancient microscopic life. He stressed that a cut to NASA’s budget would place the U.S. at a disadvantage, especially as China plans to launch its own Mars sample-return mission in 2028, potentially bringing back samples by 2033.
“Everybody, understand that if we were to find evidence of life on another world, it would change the course of human history,” Nye passionately stated. “So you say, ‘Well, how much does that cost?’
We’re not sure. We’ve never done it.”
The 69-year-old science advocate underscored the “priceless” nature of investing in NASA. He further explained the tangible economic benefits, noting, “NASA also, objectively, every dollar that goes into NASA Science comes back at least a factor of three times, so if you put $1 into NASA Science, you’re going to get $3 back into the economy.” Nye concluded by attributing numerous modern innovations, including “Global positioning, situational awareness… digital cameras, mobile phones,” to humanity’s ongoing exploration of the cosmos.