1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Congress must stop the administration's plan to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative. You authorized and funded this program. You need to make sure it runs its projected 25-year lifespan so the data can keep our communities safe. The OOI cost $368 million — money American taxpayers already spent. It's year 10 of 25, and they want to pull the plug. Killing it now doesn't save money; it wastes every dollar already invested. Worse, it creates what Ocean Conservancy calls an "irreparable blind spot" in our ability to predict earthquakes, monitor fisheries, forecast storms, and anticipate coastal flooding. This is coming ahead of what could be one of the worst El Niño cycles in a century. We need more ocean monitoring right now, not less. This is Project 2025 playing out in real time. Gut the data, erase the baseline, and there's no record left to hold anyone accountable. Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to intervene. Do not let this stand.