The Project 2025 document presented several proposals, including the removal of scientific research funding at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has been implemented. Additionally, the document equates addressing climate change with a “partisan political agenda,” indicating an expansive skepticism towards scientific findings beyond just the biomedical sector.
Implications for Congress
The faction currently in power appears to perceive science and scientists as ideological adversaries, actively seeking to diminish their presence through the termination of grants and cuts to educational funding.
It had remained uncertain whether this outlook was also mirrored in Congress. Historically, scientific funding received broad bipartisan backing. Even when Republican administrations aimed to restrain research budgets for fiscal reasons, Republican lawmakers in Congress frequently aligned with Democrats to boost funding for scientific agencies.
This trend seemed to shift dramatically in the spring when Congress, largely with Republican support, passed Trump’s budget proposal for 2026. This action solidified significant reductions in scientific funding as official U.S. policy and suggested a decline in bipartisan support for science funding.
However, the U.S. budgetary process unfolds in two stages: the initial budget proposal followed by the actual appropriation of funds. While Republicans backed Trump’s priorities through party-line votes on what was termed the Big Beautiful Bill, the Senate has behaved differently during the appropriations phase, showing a willingness to allocate funding for science agencies at levels similar to those in the 2025 budget approved under President Biden.
Anticipating Future Challenges
This newfound autonomy in Congress regarding science funding comes with significant considerations. Most appropriations votes have occurred within smaller committee settings, rather than in front of the entire Senate. This raises the possibility that such support may diminish during more high-profile voting scenarios. Although these specific appropriations would likely receive strong Democratic backing in the narrowly divided Senate, they may be grouped with other budgetary priorities, potentially alienating Democratic cooperation.
Furthermore, it remains to be seen whether this bipartisan spirit extends to the House of Representatives, where shorter congressional terms often result in a larger proportion of more radical members.
