1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am asking you to oppose the Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance proposed by the White House Office of Management and Budget. The proposal blurs the important distinction between elected leaders setting national priorities, which is appropriate, and political appointees deciding which projects to pursue, which is not. It permits politics to override expert peer review; promotes scientific protectionism in a world of shared global challenges; micromanages the running of labs; and potentially conflicts with Congressional oversight. It replaces the decades-long, curiosity-driven arc of research with a path vulnerable to ideological swerves every four years. Yes, there are areas of security concern . . . but there are many legitimate areas, like climate science and disease, where one wants to see the world’s two largest scientific powers co-operating for the greater good. Trials of treatments for childhood cancers, for example, recruit internationally to generate reliable data. I am asking you to use your powers to prevent this rule from taking effect.