[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 213 (Wednesday, December 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8817-S8818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Nomination of Jared Isaacman

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, today we consider the nomination of 
Mr. Jared Isaacman to serve as NASA Administrator, a critical position 
whose leadership will help determine the success of America's ambitious 
scientific and exploratory goals in space science.
  The next NASA Administrator will be tasked with leading the United 
States and all of humanity to places humans have never ventured, but 
they will face equally great challenges here on Earth, leading a 
workforce that has faced a year of upheaval and navigating an 
administration that has grounded progress rather than fostered it.
  Last Spring, President Trump requested a $6 billion cut to NASA, the 
largest cut in the Agency's history, with cancellation of more than 40 
missions and cuts to others, including some already in the final pre-
launch stages, such as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Then, 
only a few months later, the administration worked to push out as many 
scientists and engineers as possible through their resignation program, 
resulting in thousands of experienced and dedicated workers leaving the 
government, often as a result of fear and uncertainty around the future 
of their jobs. Some of these top scientists were recruited to research 
labs and universities in other nations, further eroding America's 
competitive edge. Now, 11 months since the inauguration, the workers 
remaining at NASA are simply looking for the stability and opportunity 
to do their world-leading work. The next administrator must bring a 
greater respect for and commitment to the NASA workforce.
  In addition to their attacks on the workforce, vital earth science 
missions have faced cancellation because the Trump administration 
dislikes that they provide us with information about our changing 
climate. There has been bipartisan pushback to this direction for the 
Agency coupled with bipartisan support for providing NASA the resources 
they need to conduct their operations. Despite this resistance, the 
tension between the branches of government remains, and the next 
administrator will have a vital role to play in standing up for the 
Agency.
  Maryland is the cornerstone of innovation in space science, centered 
around the crown jewel of American space science, the Goddard Space 
Flight Center, the Space Science Telescope Institute, AURA, and the 
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, alongside contractors and 
small businesses who support their essential work. Wallops Space Flight 
Center is just over the border in Virgina, but many of its employees 
and contractors call Maryland home. Space research and technology are a 
critical and productive part of Maryland's economy, and in turn, these 
entities are critical to the United States' broader space goals.
  When President Trump attempted to cut NASA's fiscal year 2026 budget 
by an unprecedented amount, he did not target all parts of NASA 
equally. NASA Science was singled out for a 46-percent reduction in 
overall budget, which would disproportionately impact Goddard. The next 
Administrator will need to be ready to fight not just for individual 
parts of the Agency or flashy programs, but for the entire mission. If 
NASA seeks to take us back to the Moon and eventually to Mars, it will 
be cutting-edge science that takes us there and that path runs through 
Maryland.
  I have had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Isaacman twice and watch 
both of his confirmation hearings, and I appreciate his willingness to 
engage on Maryland and national priorities for NASA's mission. During 
both my meetings with Mr. Isaacman, he relayed his belief in the 
importance of the NASA Science mission and the work done at the Goddard 
Space Flight Center. At the same time, however, I was alarmed to read 
Mr. Isaacman's Project Athena, his proposed plan for the Agency that 
suggested that NASA science should be a service to the commercial 
industry, rather than continuing to serve the public. I was further 
discouraged by his proposed plan to move certain mission control 
operations away from Goddard and to mark other Goddard facilities for 
possible ``deletion.'' The next NASA Administrator will need to 
approach the highly technical work and the people who perform it with 
respect and understanding for how their contribution fits into our 
larger goals.
  I expect Mr. Isaacman's nomination to be confirmed, and it is my 
sincere hope that he means it when he says that he intends to 
prioritize and foster the cutting-edge research and science done by 
NASA, rather than cut it. I intend to work with him and the entire 
Agency through my role as Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, 
Justice, Science--CJS--Appropriations Subcommittee to support and 
provide critical oversight over the important work of NASA in Maryland, 
across the country, and around the world.
  Mr. Isaacman's actions on the job, not his words during the 
confirmation

[[Page S8818]]

process, will be the true test of his commitment to the workforce and 
the future of the Agency. I look forward to working with him to achieve 
those goals.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I rise further today in support of the 
nomination Jared Issacman to lead the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration. That is the vote that is now ensuing, just a few 
minutes later than scheduled.
  Last week, for a second time, the Commerce Committee favorably 
reported Mr. Isaacman's nomination with bipartisan support.
  Now, as NASA takes on some of the most significant tests in its 
nearly 70-year history, including the beating of China and other 
adversaries back to the Moon and positioning America for historic deep-
space exploration, the Agency needs a permanent, Senate-confirmed 
leader.
  As chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Space and the chairman of 
the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, I 
serve in both roles, as an authorizer of legislation and the 
appropriator for NASA.
  I have worked with my colleagues and with previous administrations to 
provide the Agency with clear direction and the resources needed to 
achieve NASA's noble goals.
  I trust that if he is confirmed, Mr. Isaacman will be a reliable 
partner in continuing that legacy.
  Over the course of his nomination, I have had several opportunities 
to speak at length with Mr. Isaacman about his qualifications for this 
role, his assessment of NASA's current circumstances, and his vision to 
lead the Agency into the future. I am confident that he will provide 
the leadership that NASA needs to sustain and advance America's 
leadership in space.
  NASA's mission is not solely the domain of space. Just a couple of 
weeks ago, at Mr. Isaacman's confirmation, I had the chance to discuss 
with him the critical importance to many Kansans, including those in 
agriculture, of NASA's Earth Science Division for supporting Kansas 
agriculture producers. I was pleased that Mr. Isaacman shares my view 
that NASA must remain steadfast in its commitment to science.
  I want to thank Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy for his 
leadership of the Agency as Acting Administrator over the past several 
months.
  Confirming, now, Mr. Isaacman as the next permanent Administrator for 
NASA will equip our space Agency for success. I will be voting yes on 
Mr. Isaacman's nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the 
nomination.