Stop Trump's Chaos--Stand Up for Science

Floor Speech

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Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stevens and all the Members here today who stand up for science and innovation.

This is a matter of profound significance for many Americans. It is a matter of life or death, whether they realize it or not.

It is the responsibility of this body to be stewards of our country's future and leave this country better than how we found it. That means recognizing the pivotal role of science and innovation for the people, as well as the funding, and how it plays a role in making our country great now and in the future.

Standing up for science is more important than ever right now because the reality is this administration has declared a war on science with DOGE, funding cuts, firing contractors, firing scientists and innovators, and trying to chase others out.

For decades, America has been a leader in science and innovation, but this leadership is not our country's birthright. It has been earned over the years through an unwavering commitment to science and innovation.

Make no mistake, our adversaries are watching closely the work we are doing and everything that is happening right now. They want to undermine and replace our leadership in science and innovation. We are at risk of being outrun on AI, quantum, and so many other critical technologies and innovations.

Instead of helping us maintain our global leadership, this administration is slashing funding to our science agencies and firing Federal scientists. The President is proposing a $4.9 billion cut to the National Science Foundation. That is on top of over $1 billion in grant funding that this administration has already terminated. At least $100 million in grant funding was cut from universities just in my State of Virginia alone.

Investments in science and innovation have fueled our economy and started entire industries, given us healthcare breakthroughs, fortified our national defense, and reinforced our leadership in the world.

Make no mistake, these firings and cuts to science and innovation will hurt every single American. They will make us less safe, less healthy, and less prosperous.

I have the honor of representing in northern Virginia one of the most scientifically advanced communities in the country and many of the folks who have been cut, fired, or have seen their funding subject to these cuts. They have seen harassment, intimidation, and firings. They are losing the ability to help Americans stay safe and healthy.

What is happening is that there is a brain drain of science and technology innovators in our country because of these cuts. One of my constituents is a graduate student in astrophysics. She is pretty smart. Their research funding is at risk of being cut right now. Folks like her are wondering whether they should stay in the science field.

These cuts are destroying our Nation's pipeline of scientists, technologists, and innovators.

A teacher from my district has been dismayed that the President plans to cut the NASA budget by 24 percent. This will end educational programs that get students excited about the sciences. Do we want to go to Mars? Who is going to take us there? It is going to need the ingenuity and expertise of the American people.

The cuts are not just limited to NASA and the National Science Foundation. They are cutting healthcare research, as well.

A woman in my district said her son has a disease for which NIH was researching a cure. Mr. Speaker, with recent cuts, you can kiss that cure good-bye right now or any hope of her son getting that cure.

Right now, there are so many cuts that we are not solving the problems in healthcare that we need to, to keep our country healthy.

For another woman, her son had congenital blindness, and NIH was searching for a cure for that. That funding is on the chopping block, as well, and also the people who are doing that research.

Another biomedical researcher in the district said it perfectly when he said that the NIH, FDA, CDC, and NSF are making discoveries now that will be the foundation for solutions needed in the years and decades ahead.

We won't even know what we missed with some of these cuts. We won't know what innovations we could have made but for these cuts.

I want to end by saying that I am pretty sure these firings and cuts to science and research aren't about waste, fraud, and abuse or government efficiency. If they were and if this administration actually cared about efficiency, they would know that funding to science, technology, and innovation doubles or triples the investment back in economic activity, not to mention all the lives that research saves and all the people who are kept healthy and safe by this research.

This does not have to be partisan. This does not have to be controversial in any way. Mr. Speaker, I call on all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up for science, research, and innovation because standing up for science means standing up for the health, safety, and prosperity of every American.

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Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stevens for yielding, and I will keep it very short.

A study a few weeks ago said that a 25 percent reduction in public support of science and research would correlate to a 3.8 percent drop in economic output. That is the same as the Great Recession. That is how bad it would be.

Protecting science funding is not just about labs or some agencies. It is about preserving hope for families across the country. These cuts are bad for our economy, small businesses, parents, children, teachers, patients, you name it. Our country cannot afford these massive cuts to science and innovation.

We must reject these cuts and stand up for the health, safety, and prosperity of every American.

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