Trump's Labor Union EO Designates NASA as Primarily an Intelligence/National Security Agency

Space Policy Team Leader Paul Stimers was interviewed by SpacePolicyOnline.com about an executive order (EO) that excludes NASA from collective bargaining rights by designating it as primarily an intelligence or national security agency. The EO, issued Aug. 28, 2025, adds NASA and other agencies to the list of groups excluded from the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS), which allows for federal worker labor union representation. Mr. Stimers noted that although NASA was created as a civil agency focused on space exploration and international cooperation, it has maintained a connection to national defense initiatives – the main reason agencies have been excluded from FSLMRS requirements. He also responded to concerns that the EO would hinder relationships with international partners, saying he finds it unlikely a change in classification for domestic labor law purposes will affect NASA's standing on the global stage.

"NASA has always been a civilian agency, but it has always had close ties to our armed forces and our national security establishment – and with good reason: Space is the ultimate high ground, and it is more contested now than ever before," he commented.

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