The White House has moved ahead with another round of cuts targeting the Smithsonian, proposing the institution’s smallest federal budget in years. While the headline numbers have drawn attention, less visible changes could create additional funding pressures for the museum and research network.
The President’s budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, outlined in a House subcommittee appropriations bill approved this June, calls for $961.3 million in federal funds for the Smithsonian. That figure is roughly 11% below FY26’s $1.08 billion budget.
Within the proposal, the Smithsonian’s salaries and expenses are set at $841.3 million, while facilities maintenance and capital projects would again receive $120 million for the second year in a row. The White House budget request also projects a 6% decrease in full-time Smithsonian staff, from an estimated 4,047 employees to a proposed 3,804.
These reduced resources reflect the Trump administration’s ongoing hostility toward the Smithsonian, which has repeatedly been accused of advancing a so-called “woke” agenda through exhibitions, programming, and other public-facing materials across its 21 museums and national zoo.
Still, the numbers are not final, Mark B. Harkins, a congressional expert and senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, explained. At this stage, the proposal remains part of the budget process rather than an enacted funding decision.
