Rep. Menefee Pushes Back on Trump Proposal to Slash NASA Funding, Warns of Harm to Houston Economy

April 22, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Christian D. Menefee (TX-18) spoke out against President Donald Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 NASA budget during a Hearing by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. The Trump budget proposal would cut NASA’s funding by 23 percent and slash science funding by nearly half. Rep. Menefee warned the cuts would hit Houston’s economy hard and weaken America’s position in space. “President Trump’s budget is a wrecking ball aimed at NASA and the thousands of Houstonians who power our space program,” Rep. Menefee said. “Cutting NASA by nearly a quarter and gutting science funding isn’t just shortsighted, it puts American jobs, innovation, and leadership at risk.” The Johnson Space Center, located right outside of Texas’ 18th Congressional District, supports more than 52,000 jobs and contributes roughly $4.7 billion each year to the regional economy. Rep. Menefee stressed that the impact is personal for his district. “When I hear about these cuts, I take it personally,” he said. “The people who built this country’s space program live in my district. They work there. Their kids go to school there. We have to get this right.” “We were preparing to go back to the Moon, and in the middle of that, this budget would cut the very programs that got us [t]here,” continued Rep. Menefee. “That’s not a strategy, it’s sabotage. It risks putting us right back at ‘Houston, we have a problem.’” Rep. Menefee said he will keep fighting to protect NASA funding, support Houston jobs, and ensure the United States remains a global leader in space exploration. ###