JPL Layoffs Prompt State-Level Action from Senator Pérez

Mission Control room at JPL (Photo- Melissa Michelson)

In response to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) announcing plans to lay off 11% of its workforce, amounting to 550 employees, State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) issued a statement expressing deep concern over the decision and its broader implications for California’s leadership in science and innovation.

By News Desk

“The decision by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off 11% of its workforce—550 skilled and talented employees—is both shocking and deeply concerning,” said Pérez. “The timing of these layoffs is devastating, coming just months after many workers were evacuated, and some even lost their homes, during the Eaton fire.”

Pérez emphasized JPL’s critical role in driving innovation and maintaining the United States’ global leadership in space exploration and scientific research. She warned that such significant staff reductions could jeopardize current projects and California’s standing as a hub of technological progress.

“These cuts also raise serious concerns about the future of innovation and scientific leadership in space exploration here in California,” she stated. “JPL is a global leader in scientific research… their unique research keeps the United States at the forefront of scientific discovery, especially in the field of space exploration. Equally critical is JPL’s work to combat the effects of climate change, which is more urgent now than ever.”

The senator also highlighted broader concerns about unstable federal funding and past political decisions, referencing cuts to essential research programs under the Trump administration. As a response, she announced her support for a state-level funding initiative.

“That is why I am joining Senator Scott Wiener in authoring SB 607 – the California Science and Health Research Bond Act,” Pérez said. “We’re asking voters to allocate funding to support California’s leading public and private research institutions.”

If passed, the proposed bond measure would establish a more stable financial foundation for scientific and health research across the state, helping institutions like JPL continue their critical work regardless of shifts in federal priorities.