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Senators, industry warn budget uncertainty could erode aerospace supply chain, small-business participation and STEM pipeline
Summary
Committee members and witnesses told the Senate Commerce Committee that proposed cuts and continuing resolutions harm small suppliers and may prompt workforce departures, undermining the industrial base that supports Artemis and other NASA missions.
Multiple senators and industry witnesses told the Commerce Committee that budget uncertainty and potential cuts to NASA programs threaten suppliers, small businesses and STEM workforce development. Alan Cutler of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration said Artemis relies on an extensive supplier base — he cited "2,700 suppliers" involved in Artemis work — and warned that instability from continuing resolutions or budget cuts damages small businesses that cannot easily absorb contract uncertainty.
Senator Gary Peters and others raised concerns that the president's proposed budget reductions could disrupt regional economies, research partnerships and university-led programs that nurture the STEM pipeline. Cutler told the committee that uncertain program funding leads engineers and program managers to consider other employment, which erodes capacity at a time when the industrial base is needed for near-term missions.
Why it matters: Witnesses linked program continuity directly to small-business livelihoods and to the regional economic benefits of NASA projects. Cutler and others urged appropriations rather than repeated continuing resolutions, saying appropriations allow the supply chain and small businesses to plan and invest.
Senators asked for written materials and regulatory suggestions from industry to ease supply chain and clearance impediments. The committee will solicit additional information on how to improve small-business access to prime contractors and how to mitigate workforce attrition tied to funding uncertainty.
