1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

This week, all 12 members of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigned in protest. They say the Trump administration overrode board decisions on hundreds of scholarships and subjected 1,200 approved recipients to unauthorized reviews, undermining merit-based selection, academic freedom, and U.S. credibility abroad. The Fulbright Program, a cornerstone of American soft power for nearly 80 years, relies on nonpartisan governance and public trust, a legacy that must be preserved. When political meddling reaches into programs that promote international diplomacy and scholarly exchange, it damages our national influence and the integrity of U.S. universities. Congress must investigate this abuse of power. Hold hearings and demand clarity on who authorized these rejections, and on what grounds. Push for legislation that enshrines independent oversight for Fulbright and similar programs, shielding them from future partisan interference. This is not academic, it is strategic. We need global respect, not domestic distrust. We need to uphold our fundamental promise: that American science, culture, and ideas are shared freely, not filtered through politics. The time to act is now to restore control, confidence, and credibility. This country and the world depend on it.