Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said he opposes proposed cuts to NASA's budget.

Moran made his comments at a space policy roundtable of government and industry officials on Sunday in Colorado Springs at the 41st Space Symposium, SpaceNews reported.

"I'll work to make sure our subcommittee and our full committee in the Senate supports a robust and balanced NASA appropriations bill that is balanced between exploration, science, aeronautics, and workforce," said Moran, who chairs the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"I understand that a strong NASA requires stability, predictability, and balance," Moran added.

The Trump administration proposed a 23% cut to NASA's overall budget to $18.8 billion, with further cuts in science, space technology, and space operations.

NASA's current spending is $24.44 billion, close to 2025 levels, SpaceNews reported.

Moran told reporters at the event he will work to prevent those cuts.

"I'm going to try to lead a subcommittee and a full committee to put us in a position where we are funding NASA and NOAA and our other agencies in a way that is pretty similar to what we did last year," Moran said.

"I think it would be a mistake to put money only in the missions related to exploration and not into science and the others," he added.

"I wouldn't start with the premise that exploration is the only important aspect of the budget."

The Kansas senator said lawmakers are waiting for more details on the administration's proposed budget for NASA.

"Before we have the capability of actually having solid hearings necessary to evaluate the president's budget request, we have to have the president's budget request," Moran said.

A hearing on NASA's budget proposal has been scheduled with Administrator Jared Isaacman.

The proposed cuts to NASA received a bipartisan rebuke from members of Congress.

"We are deeply alarmed that the administration is once again proposing significant budget cuts to NASA and its science programs," Reps. Judy Chu, D-Calif., and Don Bacon, R-Neb., the co-chairs of the Congressional Planetary Science Caucus, said.

"These drastic cuts would create enormous chaos and uncertainty for critical missions, the scientific workforce, and long-term research planning," they added.

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