January 14, 2025
3 min. read
50,000 scientists call on Congress to protect research from Trump
Two open letters from scientists and science groups reflect growing concern concerning the way forward for federal science under President-elect Trump
President-elect Donald Trump greeted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on stage during a campaign event on the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23, 2024.
Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images
KLIMATWIRE | More than 50,000 scientists and their supporters have signed an open letter asking Congress to protect federal research and science jobs from the incoming Trump administration.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting science, spearheaded and published a letter Monday morning. The document points to concerns that President-elect Donald Trump could eliminate or reorganize federal science agencies, reduce staff and attack regulations designed to protect public health and the environment.
“The Trump administration’s current agenda promises to destroy protections Americans count on and support: clean air and water; safe food and medicines; products that will not harm us; and protection against extreme weather conditions and other harmful effects of climate change,” the letter said. “Without strong federal science, people will suffer and historically marginalized communities will continue to bear the brunt of these harms.”
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The letter also asked members of Congress to “oppose anti-science appointments of any federal agency that does not agree to the protocol for adhering to and/or implementing a science integrity policy within its agency.”
Also on Monday, 28 organizations he submitted the letter to members of the Senate to ask them to vote against political candidates who’re unqualified, have a conflict of interest, don’t recognize scientific consensus on issues vital to the agency, or have a history of disregarding scientific integrity.
Signatories included public health and medical associations, environmental organizations and science advocacy groups, including the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“The decisions you make about your nominees will determine whether agencies leverage the significant science of government employees and advisors to protect public health and economic stability, or whether bias and disinformation block effective responses,” the letter says.
Trump was “re-elected on a strong mandate from the American people to change the status quo in Washington,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s transition spokeswoman, said in an email to E&E News POLITICO. “That is why he has chosen brilliant and highly respected outsiders to serve in his administration and will continue to stand behind them in the fight against all those who seek to derail the MAGA Agenda.”
The letters reflect growing concern amongst scientists and science advocates over the so-called the long run of federal research under Trump. Experts have expressed concerns that the brand new administration could reduce the scale of federal agencies, change or limit their research priorities, censor scientists and alter or destroy federal data files.
Trump consistently denied the seriousness of climate change and announced for the second time the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. He also recently reached out to a lot of political candidates known for denying mainstream science on science-related topics public health AND environment.
Trump’s nominees for the brand new administration include the most important authors of Project 2025, a conservative policy plan spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation. The document calls for a radical reorganization of some federal science agencies, reminiscent of NOAA and EPA, and states that “the Biden administration’s climate fanaticism will require a government-wide détente.” Some appointments have raised concerns that the policy agenda could influence Trump’s priorities once he takes office.
“The first 100 days of the Trump administration will be absolutely critical to taking actions that can save life-saving science,” the UCS letter to Congress states. “This is a critical moment to show the administration that members of Congress of both parties are united in defending science that helps protect the communities they represent.”
Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News delivers an important news for energy and environmental professionals.
