Gov. DeWine expresses concern over proposed NASA Glenn staffing cuts

In a letter sent on Monday, Governor Mike DeWine told Vice President JD Vance that he was concerned about proposed cuts to Cleveland's NASA Glenn Research Center, which would significantly reduce its workforce. DeWine wrote to Vance, a fellow Republican, that eliminating jobs at Glenn would undercut President Donald Trump's stated aerospace goals, such as increasing America's military presence in space and returning to the moon. "In light of the administration's visionary goal of rapidly advancing air and space deterrent power, as you know, NASA Glenn has significant capabilities and synergies that are unique in the world," DeWine wrote. "This is a dangerous time, as world events demonstrate, and United States leadership in air and space is critical." The Trump administration has proposed a 24 percent decrease in NASA funding in 2026, along with sweeping job cuts that Newsweek reported would reduce both the staff and the funding of NASA to its lowest level since the early 1960s. At the Glenn Research Center, the budget proposal would cut the number of full-time civil servants employed there from an estimated 1,391 in 2025 to just 837 in 2026. The Center also employs a number (more t han 1,600 as of 2018) of what are called "contracted services staff," but it is unclear how they would be impacted by the cuts. DeWine pointed out that NASA Glenn is the leading location for the agency's advanced uninterruptible communications systems, spacecraft power systems and in-space propulsion capabilities, all programs that would feel the proposed cuts. "More importantly, NASA Glenn also possesses world-unique research and test facilities like the Space Environments Complex, the In-Space Propulsion facility and the Hypersonics Test Facility that uniquely model contested space environments," DeWine wrote. "These are essential resources to meet rapidly emerging national security imperatives, especially the president's 'Golden Dome' initiative. We must not risk loss of these facilities and this workforce at this critical juncture." Trump's "Golden Dome" proposal would seek to construct a missile defense system protecting the entirety of the United States and is inspired by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. In May, the president said he had selected a design for the project which would cost $175 billion. Job cuts would also affect the Neil Armstrong Test Facility, a remote campus of Glenn Research Center in Erie County. "In the aggregate, these labs are unmatched in the United States," DeWine said. "They are the key to rapid development of technologies that advance space operations and protect this nation." In the letter, DeWine also advocated for relocation of NASA headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Cleveland. He previously supported the idea in a joint statement in April with Sen. Jon Husted, R-Upper Arlington, and U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Rocky River. "This move also gains significant efficiencies through co-location with the Air Force Research Lab and a vibrant NASA Research Center," DeWine wrote. "If the president were to select Cleveland for NASA HQ, those civilians would be immediately transferable from Glenn functions to HQ functions. This would mitigate job loss and make NASA's HQ transition to Ohio seamless." At the bottom of the letter, DeWine added a hand-written line addressed to Vance, who has a home in Cincinnati and had represented Ohio in the Senate before being tapped as Trump's running mate. "J.D. – Thanks for any help you can give us on this – Mike," the governor wrote. On Thursday, members of the Senate appropriations committee voted against Trump's proposed budget, which would cut NASA's science programs budget by 47 percent and cancel 55 programs, according to Space.com. Further votes on the proposed budget are expected soon. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.