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Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

Did Mark Kelly vote against funding the Artemis moon mission?

Mia Osmonbekov, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
no

This is a mischaracterization. Mark Kelly voted against the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” primarily because of its cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs, not to defund NASA or the Artemis mission. 

The bill included nearly $10 billion for NASA programs, with $4 billion directed to Artemis missions IV and V. Kelly has otherwise been a consistent supporter of space funding—he voted yes on a spending bill that allocated $24 billion to NASA this year.

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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.

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