Note: This analysis uses AI to help identify potential outreach strategies for space science issues. Because it uses AI, it is important to understand the sources and limitations of this analysis. Space-related committee assignments (if present), and additional sources (if present), are from congress.gov and a direct output of a targeted web search. Opportunities, challenges, overall summary, and preparation recommendations are products of AI analyses. The biography uses AI to summarize key aspects of the member's Wikipedia page. All AI-generated claims, assessments, and recommendations should be independently verified. This is an experimental feature, and intended to provide guidance and inspiration for outreach strategies for your meeting. Feedback is welcome: casey.dreier@planetary.org.
Representative Onder's strong emphasis on fiscal conservatism and government efficiency suggests he may be cautious about increasing federal spending, making advocacy for a significant boost to NASA's science budget challenging. His lack of direct space-related committee assignments and broad legislative focus on other issues mean NASA science funding may not be a top priority, potentially leading to scrutiny rather than support for increased investment.
However, there are clear opportunities for engagement, particularly given the substantial NASA science grants totaling over $6 million to the University of Missouri System in his district for astrobiology, Earth science, and astrophysics research. His co-sponsorship of the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act also demonstrates support for interagency science collaboration. Highlighting these direct local benefits and his personal interest in aviation could make him more receptive to protecting and growing NASA's science mission.
Support for Interagency Science Collaboration: Representative Onder co-sponsored H.R. 1368, the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act, which provides statutory authority for a research and development partnership between the Department of Energy and NASA to support cross-cutting research, including areas like dark matter. (Congress.gov, 2025-03)
Local NASA Science Research Investment: The University of Missouri System in his district received a $5.0 million NASA grant for research into RNA world theories and origins-of-life models, directly aligning with NASA's astrobiology and biological and physical sciences objectives. (USAspending, FY2022-FY2024)
Local Earth Science Research Investment: The University of Missouri System also received a $479K NASA grant for retrospective analysis of anthropogenic change in Midwest reservoirs, integrating Earth observing data, which supports NASA's Earth science activities. (USAspending, FY2022-FY2024)
Local Astrophysics Research Investment: The University of Missouri System received a $292K NASA grant to develop a PAH spectral and band-ratio library using archival data from NASA space astrophysics missions, directly contributing to NASA's astrophysics goals. (USAspending, FY2022-FY2024)
Personal Aviation Interest: Representative Onder recently obtained a pilot's license, indicating a personal interest in aviation and aerospace, which often correlates with support for broader space exploration and scientific endeavors. (Wikipedia, 2024; LegiStorm, 2025)