I'm urging you to take action to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) by working to reverse the administration's decision to cap their funding through limiting so-called "indirect costs." This policy change will create an immediate and massive funding shortfall at research institutions across the nation, forcing staff layoffs and jeopardizing critical scientific research initiatives. Indirect costs cover essential infrastructure, facilities, and personnel that enable research to happen in the first place. Undermining this funding undermines years of careful financial planning and budgeting at universities and research centers, plunging them into crisis overnight. The impacts will be devastating - fewer jobs, fewer groundbreaking discoveries, and a weakening of America's global standing in innovation. NIH and NSF funding is a driving force behind U.S. economic strength and growth. In 2023 alone, NIH funding supported over 400,000 jobs and nearly $93 billion in economic activity. Every $1 in NIH funding generates $2.46 in economic output. Similarly, NSF is vital for funding research across all scientific fields from medicine to cybersecurity. Cutting this funding undermines American leadership in R&D at a critical moment. I urge you to stand up for scientific progress, innovation, and economic prosperity by taking immediate action to reverse these destructive funding caps on the NIH and NSF. The legality of the administration's actions is questionable at best - Congress must act decisively to protect American research and development.
