Trump Proposes Lowest Smithsonian Budget in Years

A House subcommittee appropriations bill approved in June outlines the Trump administration’s preliminary Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the Smithsonian Institution at $961.3 million, about 11% below FY26’s $1.08 billion. The proposal includes $841.3 million for salaries and expenses and $120 million for facilities maintenance and capital projects, matching the prior year’s facilities figure. It also projects a 6% reduction in full-time staff, from an estimated 4,047 employees to 3,804. Hyperallergic reports that, beyond headline budget cuts, the White House is pursuing additional measures that could constrain how the Smithsonian uses available funding across its 21 museums and the National Zoo, though the numbers are not final, according to Georgetown University’s Mark B. Harkins.

Read the full article at Hyperallergic