1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to condemn the Trump administration's closure of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and to take immediate action to restore funding for this critical institution. NCAR has served as a cornerstone of global climate research for 50 years. Its closure was announced on X by Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, who dismissed it as "one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country." This characterization misrepresents an institution that has provided essential scientific data used by researchers, policymakers, and emergency planners worldwide. The dismantling of NCAR follows a broader pattern of politically motivated attacks on climate science. Vought, who authored the Project 2025 manifesto, proposed a budget that would end funding for most government laboratories working on climate change. While Congress rejected most of these cuts, the administration continues to pursue its agenda through other means. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, former head of Liberty Energy oil and gas company, commissioned a report attempting to overturn the EPA's endangerment finding on greenhouse gases. More than 85 climate scientists comprehensively debunked that report in September, and the National Academy of Sciences concluded that "the evidence for current and future harm to human health and welfare created by human-caused GHGs is beyond scientific dispute." The consequences of suppressing climate research extend far beyond academic concerns. Without accurate climate data, communities cannot adequately prepare for extreme weather events, sea level rise, and other climate impacts that are already affecting your constituents. The American Geophysical Union's annual meeting in New Orleans this year saw far fewer climate scientists participating due to job losses and budget cuts, representing a devastating loss of expertise our nation cannot afford. I urge you to publicly oppose NCAR's closure and work to restore its funding. Scientific integrity must not be sacrificed to political agendas.