Congress rejects Trump’s $1 billion cut to National Park Service in latest spending bill

WASHINGTON — The National Park Service will maintain its current budget after congressional appropriators rejected a request from President Donald Trump to slash the agency’s budget by $1 billion for the 2026 fiscal year.

In the latest spending package released by lawmakers on Monday, the National Park Service is poised to receive $3.27 billion for the remainder of the fiscal year — roughly $1.15 billion higher than what Trump proposed in his initial budget request last year. That figure includes $2.997 billion for the National Park Service, which includes the actual parks and lands overseen by the agency.

The budget will allow the National Park Service to maintain the staffing level and necessary financial resources to support a full seasonal staff through the end of September, according to lawmakers.

As part of the budget, roughly $205 million will go toward the Historic Preservation Fund that provides federal funding to go toward preserving historic and cultural sites across the country. More than $23 million of that will go toward the Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and another $62.15 million for State Historic Preservation Offices.

The park service funding is a small portion of the broader $180 billion spending package that was finalized over the weekend and made public on Monday morning. The three-part bill, known colloquially as a “minibus spending package,” would fund Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior-Environment and Energy-Water bills for the rest of the fiscal year.

The spending package comes after months of bipartisan negotiations between the House and Senate, and it marks the most significant progress toward completing the 2026 fiscal budget since the record-long shutdown ended in November.

Republicans have touted the final package as lowering current spending levels overall while avoiding a massive spending bill that is rushed through Congress hours before a shutdown deadline.

“This bipartisan, bicameral package reflects steady progress toward completing FY26 funding responsibly,” Rep. Tom Cole, the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “It invests in priorities crucial to the American people: making our communities safer, supporting affordable and reliable energy, and responsibly managing vital resources. It also delivers critical community projects nationwide, along with investments in water infrastructure, ports, and flood control that protect localities and keep commerce moving.”

Democrats, meanwhile, have celebrated the inclusion of certain language pushing back against Trump’s proposed spending cuts. Aside from the National Park Service, the package will provide $6.13 billion for the Forest Service while rejecting Trump’s proposal to cut $1.4 billion toward the agency’s non-fire budget.

The bill also ensures $8.82 billion in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, $4.7 billion higher than Trump’s request.

Top appropriators in both parties have signed off on the package, hinting at smooth passage when it is brought up for a vote. The House could consider it as early as this week.

“There is still much more work to do before Jan. 30, but this is an important first step,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “I look forward to casting my vote in favor of this package.”