Washington, D.C. (September 22, 2025) – Today, Knowledge for a Competitive America (KCA), in coordination with North Star Opinion Research and Global Strategy Group (GSG), released results of a new survey that found that voters in Alabama, Kansas, and North Carolina overwhelmingly oppose a proposal to eliminate federal funding for scientific research into the earth’s weather and climate.

In each state, voters across the political spectrum oppose this concept by at least a 2-to-1 margin. Moreover, voters overwhelmingly agree that the proposal would be an unwise way to try to save taxpayers money and, by a 41-point margin, say they would view their U.S. Senator less favorably if they supported the cuts.

The survey found that this opposition is rooted in a strong belief that scientific research is vital to maintaining America’s global leadership, upholding national security, and driving economic prosperity. Voters also view scientific research as essential for helping the government save lives by better predicting extreme weather events.

“This survey reveals what many Americans have already known – scientific research makes the U.S. more competitive, prosperous, and secure,” said Pamitha Weerasinghe, Campaign Director for Knowledge of a Competitive America. “Despite today’s polarized political environment, it is clear that gutting scientific research programs is deeply unpopular on a bipartisan basis, and voters want policymakers to protect the federal programs and products that keep the American economy growing and strong.”

Key findings from the survey include:

• Voters believe scientific research is crucial to maintaining America’s global leadership, with significant benefits for national security and economic prosperity.
• Voters oppose a proposal to cut all federal funding for scientific research into the earth’s weather and climate by more than a 2-to-1 margin, with even Republicans in opposition.
• Supporting federal cuts to scientific research into the earth’s weather and climate puts Senators at risk of voter backlash – with independents and Republicans.
• Voters believe this proposal would be an unwise way to try to save taxpayers money, make it harder to predict and respond to disasters, and make America less competitive with China.