1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to take immediate action to restore the National Science Board and protect the independence of the National Science Foundation. President Trump's decision to fire all 22 board members simultaneously dismantles a safeguard that has protected American science from political interference since 1950. The NSB was designed with staggered six-year terms specifically to prevent any single administration from controlling the entire board. This wasn't an oversight—it was the whole point. The NSF distributes $9 billion annually in research funding that has produced GPS, MRI technology, the early internet, and climate modeling. Removing independent oversight means research priorities could shift from public health and climate resilience toward whatever serves political loyalty or corporate profit. This comes at the worst possible time. China and other nations are investing heavily in long-term research infrastructure while we're weakening ours. We're competing in AI, biotechnology, and energy systems that will define the next century. Ceding scientific leadership now means ceding economic and strategic power for decades. The NSF was built with two centers of power—a director and an independent board—so no single authority could control American science. That balance is now gone. I need you to publicly oppose this action, demand transparency about who will replace these board members, and work to restore the structural independence that has made American science a global leader.