Democrats and independents in the Alaska state Legislature are urging Congress to preserve federal funding for science and research. In a letter sent Friday, 14 lawmakers urged the state’s all-Republican congressional delegation to oppose cuts that President Trump proposed in his 2026 budget.
"The University of Alaska – and especially the University of Alaska Fairbanks – conducts world-class arctic research that helps to lead the world in solving practical challenges that face the Arctic and beyond," the lawmakers wrote.
Fairbanks Democratic Rep. Ashley Carrick wrote the letter asking the delegation to resist cuts to NASA, the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Her district includes the main campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and she said in an interview that cuts to federal funding would undermine research on everything from Arctic health to drones.
"These research dollars don't just impact the studies that are currently ongoing, but they also impact all of the real-life applications of research that's happening in Alaska, across the Arctic and around the country," Carrick said.
Trump’s budget would slash funding for basic scientific research by roughly a third, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an advocacy group. Wide-ranging layoffs and grant cancellations have already caused chaos for researchers who rely on federal support.
But a president’s budget is just a proposal. Congress decides what to spend money on when it passes appropriations bills.
The House and Senate have yet to agree on a spending bill that would fund agencies like NASA and NOAA for the next year, but the appropriations committees have shown little appetite for the deep cuts to scientific agencies Trump has proposed.
A spokesperson for one appropriations committee member, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, said she has long supported the University of Alaska’s partnerships with federal agencies.
“Senator Murkowski has long championed the partnership between the University of Alaska and federal agencies that bring jobs, students, and breakthrough research to our state. As a senior appropriator, she voted to advance the FY26 CJS Appropriations Bill — which funds NASA, NOAA, and NSF — through full committee," spokesperson Joe Plesha said via email. "She hopes the bill will be considered by the full Senate promptly so the University can be assured that the world-class work it does will continue in Alaska.”
A spokesperson said Sen. Dan Sullivan was not available. Rep. Nick Begich III’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
For now, Republicans and Democrats in Congress are at loggerheads over a short-term spending bill to avert an impending government shutdown.