During Senate hearings on Thursday, March 12, Ted Cruz (R-Texas) chairman of the Senate’s Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, had harsh words for NASA. Cruz, who told CNN in 2014 that climate change was ‘not supported by data’, strongly urged NASA to stop gathering data. Now, the American Geophysical Union which represents over 60,000 Earth and space scientists, is taking the senator to task for his remarks.

In the hearings Cruz expressed concern over the space agency’s Earth science missions. “I’d like to start by asking a general question, In your judgment, what is the core mission of NASA?” asked Cruz according to Mashable.

“Our core mission from the very beginning has been to investigate, explore space and the Earth environment, and to help us make this place a better place,” responded NASA administrator Charles Bolden.

Continuing his remarks, Cruz disputed the Earth science portion of NASA’s mission.

“Almost any American would agree that the core function of NASA is to explore space. That’s what inspires little boys and little girls across this country. I am concerned that NASA in the current environment has lost its full focus on that core mission,” Cruz continued.

Bolden responded by pointing out the importance of Earth science to the study of space science.

“We can’t go anywhere if the Kennedy Space Center goes underwater and we don’t know it — and that’s understanding our environment. It is absolutely critical that we understand Earth’s environment because this is the only place that we have to live,” said Bolden “Science helps exploration, exploration helps science.”

Former NASA astronaut and current Florida Senator Bill Nelson also defended the agency. “Earth science directly relates to everything that we’re doing in exploration,” he said.

A battle is currently brewing in Washington over NASA’s proposed $18.5 billion dollar budget, which represents a 3 percent increase over last year. Of that budget, $1.9 billion is slated to go to earth science missions.

“On one side are Republicans who accuse the Obama administration of taking its eye off the ball by funneling too much money into research about the planet Earth, rather than focusing on distant worlds and stars. On the other, Democrats argue that the administration’s plan is critical to harness the best of NASA’s talents, protect our planet and consistent with the agency’s wide-ranging mission,” says Julian Hattem of the Hill.

In a letter dated March 13, Christine W. McEntee Executive Director/CEO American Geophysical Union both explained and defended NASA’s priorities.

“The priorities of NASA’s Earth Science Division are based on Decadal Surveys conducted by the National Academy of Sciences’ Space Studies Board to determine consensus among scientific experts on the most critical leading-edge scientific areas of research over the next decade,” says McEntee.

The letter additionally points out ways that the Earth Sciences missions are beneficial.

“In the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, NASA’s UAVSAR project allowed response teams to track the movement of the oil into coastal waterways … More generally, Earth Science Division missions aid in flood prediction, earthquake response, and severe storm tracking across the Great Plains. Greater knowledge and prediction skill are urgent when we consider the effort, time and costs of protecting infrastructure along coasts, rebuilding fish populations, developing new water resources for manufacturing and agriculture, and restoring communities in the wake of hazards. These observations, and many others like them, are integral and require the vantage point of outer space,” it reads.

Cruz is widely believed to be preparing a presidential run in 2016, however recent poll numbers have been disappointing with more Americans viewing him negatively than positively, according to Gallup.