NASA Administrator Bill Nelson delivers his 'State of NASA' address in a livestream about the fiscal 2025 budget request, on March 11, 2024.late Friday for part of the government, as a result of"partisan political gridlock" that will affect NASA greatly in the current fiscal year and the next one.
The Senate's $467.5 billion discretionary spending package for fiscal 2024 passed in a bipartisan 75-22 vote and will fund NASA and a range of other U.S. programs through Sept. 30, when the fiscal year concludes. The package passed shortly before funding expired for this group of departments and agencies on Friday at midnight. But the money doesn't fund all of the U.S.
Nelson argued that NASA has had bipartisan support, but like other government departments received funding cuts in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 because a"small group in the House of Representatives" held up the budget's passage. "I promise you —every one of you — that's a part of team NASA that I, that we, will continue to do everything in our power to fight for NASA," Nelson added of FY25's budget, which must meet the approval of Congress during an election year.