Oppose Political Censorship of Academic Research

I urge you to forcefully oppose the Trump administration’s escalating political interference in academic research and federal science. Recent reporting has revealed chilling and unacceptable efforts to silence researchers and control what topics they are even allowed to study. The National Science Foundation is reportedly flagging and rejecting grant proposals that include terms like “climate change,” “DEI,” or “critical race theory”—a political blacklist of scientific language that is straight out of authoritarian regimes. The CDC has ordered mass retractions of peer-reviewed papers—many dealing with vaccine effectiveness—under political pressure, not scientific merit. And dozens of top scientists have signed an open letter warning that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are being pressured to suppress reports on climate, public health, and gun violence research. This is not about science—it’s about censorship. It's dangerous, anti-democratic, and will have real consequences for Americans’ health, safety, and rights. As your constituent, I’m demanding that you speak out and act to stop these attacks on academic freedom. Silencing experts doesn’t make problems go away; it just makes us less prepared and more vulnerable. Please use your position to protect research integrity, reject political litmus tests for scientific funding, and ensure that truth—not partisan fear—guides our national research priorities.