
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory could face significant layoffs if President Donald Trump’s proposed budget is approved by Congress, according to a memo recently sent to lab staff.
The memo from lab director Steven Ashby was reportedly sent to staff on June 2. A lab spokeswoman declined a request from the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business to provide the memo as it was meant for an internal audience only and referred further inquiries to the U.S. Department of Energy.
A copy of the memo obtained by the Journal noted that though the budget is far from set and federal lawmakers pushed against cuts proposed in Trump’s first term, “this is a different time and Congress, of course, with the nation facing serious fiscal challenges.”
“Given the uncertainty we are facing, the Laboratory Leadership Team (LLT) and I are reviewing options to prepare for (fiscal year) 2026, including reductions in direct and indirect staff. I will share more in an upcoming all-hands meeting,” Ashby wrote, adding, “I know that this message will be upsetting to many, and I wish I did not have to share it.”
During the June 9 meeting of the Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Ashby told attendees that during a recent trip to Anchorage, Alaska, he spoke with Energy Secretary Chris Wright about the budget’s potential impact to the lab.
“Every administration change has priority changes and that’s fine,” Ashby told the chamber. “When budgets are taken to zero, we can’t realign.”
Federal lawmakers from Washington state in the House and Senate told the Journal that they oppose any cuts to the lab and will fight them.
“I have worked diligently throughout my time in Congress to deliver the necessary resources needed for PNNL to be successful, and I oppose spending cuts that impact their mission,” said U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican, in a statement to the Journal. “As a member of the appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Department of Energy, I will continue to advocate for strong funding for PNNL and ensure the lab continues to support Central Washington and our national interests.”
PNNL, operated by Battelle for DOE, is the largest employer in the Tri-Cities, with a budget of $1.6 billion, payroll of $789 million and more than 6,400 employees, more than 4,000 of whom work in the Tri-Cities.
An expanded White House budget proposal, released at the end of May, revealed much deeper cuts than initially projected. The Hanford site, for example, could see $34 million less if the proposal is approved by Congress.
When it comes to DOE, the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts the agency’s funding from $49.8 billion to $46.3 billion, or 7% compared to fiscal year 2025 levels. Of the $3.5 billion cut, $2.5 billion comes from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Another $1.15 billion would be cut from the Office of Science of which $505 million would come out of the Biological and Environmental Research program.
There is also a proposed cut of $111 million from Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation activities – expanding on a cut already made in the continuing resolution that is currently funding the federal government – while boosting nuclear weapons spending by $5.56 billion.
All three programs are significant portions of PNNL’s research portfolio.
“President Trump’s proposal to cut billions in funding from the Department of Energy would be a devastating blow to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – not only to the cutting-edge research that happens there every day, but to the entire Tri-Cities economy and the thousands of nearby residents whose jobs would be put on the chopping block,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, told the Journal in a statement.
Ashby wrote in his memo that lab administrators already had to revise their 2025 fiscal year financial forecast because of delayed and rescinded funding earlier this year. That led to some staff being furloughed in March, and more furloughs are expected in the coming weeks.
“As I have emphasized in previous communications about the federal budget, the president’s budget request is just that, a request. It is the first step in a process that will play out over several months,” Ashby wrote. “We already have heard several key members of Congress raise concerns about various parts of the budget and I expect the chorus to grow louder as the potential impacts become known.”
“Please know that the (lab leadership team) and I are working hard to minimize the impact of any budget cuts,” he wrote in closing. “In the meantime, as difficult as it may be, please stay focused on delivering for our many sponsors and doing so safely. In times like this, when federal program managers must make hard decisions, they remember those – like you – who have consistently delivered exceptional results.”