4:41Bill Nye, recognized as “The Science Guy” and serving as CEO of the Planetary Society, delivers remarks during a media briefing, urging Congressional members to safeguard financial backing for NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF), held outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 6, 2025.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Bill Nye, a renowned figure in the realm of science and known as the "Science Guy," is voicing his opposition to the proposed budget curtailments for NASA by the Trump administration.
Nye, presently the chief executive officer at the Planetary Society, a nonprofit established by Carl Sagan back in 1980, allied with peers, space enthusiasts, and lawmakers on Capitol Hill this past Monday to advocate for keeping NASA’s monetary support unharmed and emphasizing the merits of space exploration.
The Trump administration has put forth a proposition to reduce NASA’s financial plan by around 24% for the 2026 fiscal year. The overall allocation for the agency would diminish from roughly $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. Approximately $6 billion in reductions would bear upon the agency’s planetary science, Earth science, and astrophysics research resources, all fundamental components of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
"We aren’t just discussing postponements in scientific inquiry; we’re contemplating its conclusion," Nye stated at a press event this Monday on the steps of Capitol Hill. He further noted, "As we ease off, our rivals are stepping in."
Under the proposed monetary arrangement, NASA’s scientific research allocations would experience the severest impact from the cuts, facing a 47% reduction. The Planetary Society, in a declaration, characterized this cut as an "extinction-level event for space exploration."
ABC News has attempted to contact various NASA centers for their input, but the agency is presently experiencing consequences from the government shutdown.
Nye expressed to Diane Macedo on ABC News Live this past Monday, "Halving NASA science would put an end to various ongoing missions and several scheduled to commence." He added, "The significance lies in the fact that cutting the science budget in half could effectively shut down the entire operation."
Bill Nye, “The Science Guy” and CEO of the Planetary Society, attends a press conference urging Congress to protect funding for NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 6, 2025.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Casey Dreier, the chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, indicates that his group has a straightforward objective: the defense of current initiatives.
"Therefore, this isn’t about new funding or adjustments to policy; it’s simply about sustaining ventures in which we’ve already invested, already funded, and are currently yielding remarkable scientific outcomes," Dreier clarified.
During Monday’s media briefing, Dreier explained that at present, “Both the House and Senate [are] showing a near-total disapproval of the suggested reductions to NASA science, as well as broadly opposing cuts in other NASA sectors.”
The Science Mission Directorate is in charge of dispatching satellites into orbit, like the James Webb Space Telescope, the Perseverance Rover (the spacecraft that touched down on Mars back in 2021), and the Landsat 9 satellite, which cooperate to gather critical information and "attain a scientific grasp of Earth, the solar system, and the universe."
The proposal from the White House described several expeditions as "unaffordable." Exceeding 40 endeavors have already been earmarked for defunding, among them the Mars Sample Return, the Mars orbiter MAVEN, and the Juno mission.
"The Budget suggests terminating numerous unaffordable missions and lessening funding for lower priority research, resulting in a more efficient Science program that demonstrates a dedication to fiscal responsibility," the proposition declared.
Within the proposal, there was also a specific demand to discontinue climate-centric initiatives, along with support for the Office of STEM Engagement.
ABC News has contacted the Trump administration seeking their comments, but a response was not immediately received.
In a declaration, NASA headquarters mentioned, "The Budget does away with climate-focused 'green aviation' expenditure while safeguarding the advancement of technologies relevant to air traffic oversight and defense applications, yielding savings."
Bill Nye, “The Science Guy” and CEO of the Planetary Society, speaks during a press conference urging Congress to protect funding for NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 6, 2025.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Nye and Drier are speaking out, stating their intent to elaborate on the hazards tied to diminished resources for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and the National Science Foundation. Nye put forth the idea that these cutbacks might ultimately exert a tangible influence on the placement of the United States in the international competition to get back to the moon’s terrain.
Nye remarked, "The China National Space Administration is progressing swiftly, undertaking numerous extraordinary missions that are quite similar, almost mission for mission, to what the United States is executing. I anticipate a Sputnik-like event when Taikonauts, the space travelers from the China National Space Administration, set foot on the moon within the next five years."
U.S. Representative Glenn Ivey, D-Md., supported these sentiments during the Capitol Hill press conference.
Rep. Ivey stated, "We’re lagging behind in relation to China. They are allocating funds and directing engineers and scientists toward the advancement of science within China, thereby competing against us, while we are engaging in the direct opposite. The White House nearly intends to completely eliminate NASA science."
In addition to 20 education, science, and space affiliate organizations, more than 300 proponents united in the call to action on Capitol Hill this past Monday. Among the groups showcased at the media event situated at the U.S. Capitol were the American Astronomical Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Nye asserted, "Finalize the undertaking. Although both the Senate and the House possess bills that reject and push back against these reductions, we want them to enact it into law."
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
