Republicans Pass Bill out of Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee to Raise Costs, Make Children and Families Less Safe

WASHINGTON — Republicans today advanced the fiscal year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill out of subcommittee. The bill hurts the economy as Americans struggle to keep up with high prices, makes families and children less safe, and continues Republicans’ attacks on America’s competitiveness. 

For 2027, the bill provides $80 billion, a $1.2 billion, or 1.5 percent cut, below 2026. The legislation:

• Hurts the economy and harms hardworking Americans who cannot keep up with the high cost of living by gutting Economic Development Administration (EDA) programs that mainly serve rural communities, as well as International Trade Administration (ITA) programs that promote U.S. exports and fight the unfair trade practices of other countries.
• Makes families and children less safe by eliminating hundreds of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) law enforcement positions and slashing legal services, Juvenile Justice grants, Community Violence Intervention and Prevention grants, hate crime prevention grants, and other resources that prevent violence.
• Continues Republicans’ attacks on America’s scientific and economic competitiveness by cutting billions from scientific research, technology development, and STEM education of the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Meng’s (D-NY-06) opening remarks during subcommittee markup can be found here.

“[This bill] turns its back on struggling communities and hard-working Americans, weakens our ability to fight crime, and jeopardizes our nation’s competitive edge.” Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Meng (D-NY-06) said. “The billions of dollars in cuts in this bill are not just numbers on a page. They are choices, and they are the wrong choices. At a time when Americans are worried about gun violence and hate crimes, this bill delivers a devastating blow to law enforcement agencies and programs that protect them. We should also be doing much, much more to address the cost-of-living crisis that is hurting American families. But this bill sharply cuts funding for the agencies and programs that create jobs, boost American small businesses, and advance our economy. It cuts the National Science Foundation by more than 1.7 billion dollars—abandoning the next generation of scientists and engineers at exactly the moment our competitors are investing more in theirs. I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation and come back to the table to produce a bill that actually delivers for the American people.”

House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT-03) opening remarks during subcommittee markup can be found here.

“I oppose the bill we are considering this morning, because it makes Americans less safe, erodes our economic and scientific competitiveness, and hurts working families who are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living.” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “Across the board, the Trump economy is hurting working families. The first year of Trump’s second term was the worst year for American job growth since the final year of his last term. And this bill before us does nothing to change the track that this country is on. In fact, it would make our problems even worse. I encourage my colleagues to oppose this measure, and work on a bipartisan basis to craft a bill that meets this moment.” 

A summary of House Republicans’ 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill is here. A fact sheet is here. The text of the bill is here. The subcommittee markup can be viewed on the House Committee on Appropriations website. Information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

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