1. United States
2. Alaska
3. Letter

I’m writing to you today because I’m deeply alarmed by the recent cuts to federal science funding, especially those affecting the National Institutes of Health and other key research agencies. These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. These cuts directly threaten the future of medical research, public health, and the opportunities available to the next generation. Nearly 800 NIH-funded research projects have already been canceled. That includes work on HIV, long COVID, climate-related health risks, and also research into cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes which are diseases that affect millions of families, including mine. Cutting these projects now not only wastes years of effort and investment, it stalls progress that could save lives. Universities and research hospitals are already feeling the damage. Axios reports that labs are laying off staff, rescinding graduate program offers, and shutting down studies. That kind of disruption doesn’t just hurt researchers. It hurts students and families across the country. My own kids are entering college right now, and they’re facing a future with fewer opportunities in science, medicine, and innovation. This should be a time when they are inspired and excited to pursue careers in research. Instead, they are seeing the door close before they can even step through it. It is painfully clear that this administration’s approach to science is undermining the very foundations of American progress. Slashing funding, ignoring evidence, and sidelining experts does not just affect today’s scientists. It sends a message that science is no longer valued in this country. This is more than disappointing. It is unacceptable. I urge you to do everything in your power to reverse these cuts and protect research funding. We need to be investing in science now more than ever. The health of our families, the future of our economy, and the dreams of the next generation all depend on it.