October 15, 2025 - SACRAMENTO – Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) issued the following 
statement on NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) announcement that they are laying off 11% of their staff:
“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. 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.
“These cuts also raise serious concerns about the future of innovation and scientific leadership in space exploration here in California. JPL is a global leader in scientific research, where teams of scientists and support staff enable groundbreaking work that is vital to our community, our state, and our nation. 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 recent layoffs underscore the broader instability of federal funding, especially at a time when the Trump Administration is implementing severe cuts to essential research programs and highlight the need for California to take decisive action in protecting its research environment. That is why I am joining Senator Scott Wiener in authoring SB 607 – the California Science and Health Research Bond Act – to establish our own state-level investment by asking the voters to allocate funding to support California’s leading public and private research institutions.”
Senator Sasha Renée Pérez is Chair of the Senate Education Committee and represents the 25th Senate District that includes the communities of Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, and San Antonio Heights.
Source: Senator Sasha Renée Pérez
