As the House Appropriations Committee works through its spending bills for fiscal year 2027 (FY27), the stakes for science remain high. This month, the committee advanced its Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies (I&E) bill, recommending funding for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that pushes back sharply against the administration’s proposed cuts, while recommending significant reductions to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Together, these decisions shape the federal investment in Earth science, water resources, natural hazards, and environmental research that the nation depends on. Below is a breakdown of what the House recommended for USGS and EPA.

If you’re interested in engaging with your legislators on these issues, check out AGU’s Science Policy Action Center for current opportunities.

 

House Interior & Environment: Bill | Report

 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS)

*funding in millions	FY26 Final	FY27 PBR	% Change FY26 to FY27 PBR	FY27 House	% Change FY26 to FY27 House
USGS (Topline)	$1,420.43	$892.67	-37.2%	$1,367.93	-3.7%
Ecosystems	$294.71	$0	-100%	$286.37	-2.8%
Energy & Mineral Resources	$104.66	$142.47	36.1%	$114.77	9.7%
Natural Hazards	$200.13	$136.53	-31.8%	$186.04	-7.0%
Water Resources	$288.77	$227.09	-21.4%	$282.21	-2.3%
Core Science Systems	$276.13	$156.71	-43.3%	$275.37	-0.1%
Science Support	$73.68	$80.00	8.6%	$80.00	8.6%
Facilities	$180.10	$149.87	-16.8%	$143.18	-20.5%

 

HIGHLIGHTS

Ecosystems

• Climate Adaptation Science Centers receive $65 million, with direction to prioritize funding to Regional Centers and expedite delivery to university-led consortia.
• Environmental Health programs receive $27.9 million, including $4.8 million for harmful algal bloom research.

Energy & Mineral Resources

• Earth MRI receives $16.8 million, with direction to conduct airborne collection of high-resolution magnetic and radiometric data across previously unmapped regions to identify geothermal and critical mineral resources.
• USGS is directed to spend no less than $7.5 million on a state-by-state assessment of geothermal resources across all 50 states, including enhanced geothermal, deep closed-loop and supercritical systems. This exceeds the administration’s own request, which cuts the Geothermal Energy subprogram.
• A 120-day feasibility report is directed on next-generation quantum magnetometer systems for mineral surveys, including compact geomagnetic observatory stations and miniature systems deployable on unmanned aerial platforms.

Natural Hazards

• Earthquake Hazards receives $95 million—matching the FY2026 enacted level and fully reversing the Administration’s proposed 34% cut—including $38 million for ShakeAlert and a directive to develop a Technical Implementation Plan for extending the system to Nevada and Alaska.
• Subduction Zone Science receives $2.7 million, including ongoing collaboration with NSF.
• The National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program receives $13.5 million.

Water Resources

• The Water Resources Research Act Program receives $16.5 million, fully reversing the administration’s proposal to eliminate it, with at least $3 million designated for PFAS research.
• The Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program receives $113 million, including $34 million for Federal Priority streamgages and $30 million for the Next-Generation Water Observing System.
• Water Availability and Use Science receives $67.3 million, and the National Water Quality Program receives $85.4 million, including $7.5 million for harmful algal bloom research and monitoring.

Core Science Systems

• The National Land Imaging Program receives $116 million, including $95 million for continued Landsat Next development with a target launch date of 2031.
• The National Geospatial Program receives $90.7 million, including $45 million for the 3D National Topographic Model and $43.5 million for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program—fully reversing the administration’s proposed 45% cut.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

*funding in millions	FY26 Final	FY27 PBR	% Change FY26 to FY27 PBR	FY27 House	% Change FY26 to FY27 House
EPA (Topline)	$8,816.89	$4,202.66	-52.3%	$7,040.00	-20.1%
Science & Technology	$744.20	$508.39	-31.7%	$527.94	-29.1%
Environmental Programs & Management	$3,110.00	$2,504.39	-19.5%	$2,293.67	-26.3%

 

HIGHLIGHTS

Science & Technology

• $9.5 million goes toward research on PFAS impacts in agricultural settings, including PFAS uptake into plants and animals, soil-to-groundwater modeling and investigation of PFAS-tolerant crops, in coordination with USDA.
• $6 million is directed to investigating health effects from harmful algal blooms and cyanobacteria toxins and developing methods to monitor, predict and characterize blooms for early action.
• $10 million supports competitive extramural water quality and availability research grants to nonprofit organizations, independent of the STAR grant program.

Environmental Programs & Management

• No less than $5 million is provided for the Underground Injection Control program’s Class VI well permitting for geologic carbon sequestration.
• EPA is encouraged to coordinate with the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service on integrating ground-level smoke and health data with existing wildfire data at the National Interagency Fire Center.

The House I&E bill is an important development, but the appropriations process has a long way to go. The Senate has yet to release its own spending proposal for these agencies, and the two chambers will need to reconcile their positions before any funding becomes law.

AGU will continue to monitor developments and advocate for the robust investment in science that both agencies require. Stay tuned to this blog for updates as the process moves forward.