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E&E News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- E&E News
149 science agency staffers sign dissent letter against Trump
Employees at the government's premier science agency are elevating their pushback against the Trump administration. In a letter of dissent, 149 National Science Foundation employees expressed 'deep concern over a series of politically motivated and legally questionable actions by the Administration that threaten the integrity of the NSF.' The letter, sent Monday to House Science, Space and Technology ranking member Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), urges the committee to shield NSF employees 'from politically motivated firings,' release frozen grant dollars and demand more transparency from Trump officials. Advertisement The letter was submitted as a protected whistleblower complaint, and all but one of the signatories had their names censored or signed as an anonymous member. Hiding their identities is a step meant to protect federal workers from retaliation. It is a different approach than used in dissent letters from employee groups at EPA, the National Institutes of Health and NASA. Earlier this month, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin put 139 employees who signed a similar letter of dissent on administrative leave for 10 days. That number has since grown to 160 staffers, and the agency has extended the leave to Aug. 1. 'It's a deep shame that expressing support for NSF's mission and calling attention to how recent actions betray that mission needs to be done in this manner,' Lofgren said. The NSF dissent letter was organized by members of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union. Members of Local 3403, the union branch that represents NSF and other federal researchers and scientists, signed the letter. NSF has already lost approximately one-third of what once was an 1,800-person workforce, said Jesus Soriano, president of AFGE Local 3403. That number includes departures through voluntary 'early-out' programs and the 168 probationary staffers and experts fired in February. Last month, NSF staffers were surprised with less than 24 hours notice that they would be evicted from their current headquarters to let Housing and Urban Development employees move in. It is still not clear where NSF will be relocated. Lofgren during a press conference Tuesday pledged to defend NSF against President Donald Trump's attacks. But she said in a brief interview with POLITICO's E&E News she's not confident the letter will influence Trump administration policies. 'This administration does not care about science,' Lofgren said. Reach reporter Ellie Borst on Signal at eborst.64
The Hill
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
National Science Foundation staffers sign dissent letter
Their concerns range from mass firings by the administration's Department of Government Efficiency to interference with the grant process. In particular, the employees allege that for grants, 'a covert and ideologically driven secondary review process by unqualified political appointees is now interfering with the scientific merit-based review system.' The accusation and others are detailed in a letter addressed to Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. Lofgren said at a press conference that the letter was being submitted to her office as 'a protected whistleblower disclosure.' It was signed by 149 staffers, virtually all of whom signed either anonymously or whose names were redacted in the version of the letter that was made public on Tuesday. The NSF is an independent science agency that supports scientific research across various fields including biology, engineering, computer science and geoscience. The agency declined to comment on the letter. The staffers also said that the administration canceled 1,600 NSF grants in April and May using 'undisclosed criteria' and that the White House Office of Management was withholding $2.2 billion of the agency's $9 billion budget that was appropriated by Congress. 'Members of the administration have a say on what programs get funded and what proposals get awarded,' said Jesus Soriano, president of the AFGE Local 3403, which represents NSF employees.
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Amid Fear of Retaliation, N.S.F. Workers Sign Letter of Dissent
More than 140 employees of the National Science Foundation have signed a letter denouncing what they described as efforts to undermine one of the country's main science funding agencies. They accused the Trump administration of abruptly firing workers, withholding funds and decimating the agency's budget. Out of fear of retaliation, all but one of the employees' signatures are redacted. The letter, addressed on Monday to Representative Zoe Lofgren, the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, petitioned it to defend the mission of the N.S.F. and its employees. The N.S.F. declined to comment on the letter. The formal protest by N.S.F. employees followed similar ones made last month by workers from the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency, who criticized orders that they saw as unlawful and accused the administration of endangering public health. The E.P.A. suspended 144 of the signatories a few days after the letter was sent, a step that has been described by some as retaliation. In a news conference on Tuesday, Representative Lofgren said the letter was submitted to her office as a whistle-blower complaint. In a statement thanking the signers, she added: 'I promise to do all I can to protect you, protect your agency, and protect our scientific enterprise.' Hundreds of NASA employees issued their own letter of formal dissent on Monday. Addressing the secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, the letter warned the agency's leadership that major budget cuts would harm science missions. President Trump appointed Mr. Duffy as interim NASA administrator this month. All the N.S.F. employees in the letter that was released publicly signed anonymously, except for Dr. Jesus Soriano, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, the union representing the N.S.F. Nearly 50 of the signatories included their names in the private letter. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Hill
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
National Science Foundation staffers express concerns about ‘politically motivated and legally questionable' Trump actions
Employees of the National Science Foundation (NSF) are going public with what they described as 'politically motivated and legally questionable' actions by the Trump administration related to their agency. Their concerns range from mass firings by the administration's Department of Government Efficiency to interference with the grant process. In particular, the employees allege that for grants 'a covert and ideologically driven secondary review process by unqualified political appointees is now interfering with the scientific merit-based review system.' The accusation and others are detailed in a letter addressed to Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. Lofgren said at a press conference that the letter was being submitted to her office as 'a protected whistleblower disclosure.' It was signed by 149 staffers, virtually all of whom signed either anonymously or whose names were redacted in the version of the letter that was made public on Tuesday. The NSF is an independent science agency that supports scientific research across various fields including biology, engineering, computer science and geoscience. The agency declined to comment on the letter. The staffers also said that the administration canceled 1,600 NSF grants in April and May using 'undisclosed criteria' and that the White House Office of Management was withholding $2.2 billion of the agency's $9 billion budget that was appropriated by Congress. 'Members of the administration have a say on what programs get funded and what proposals get awarded,' said Jesus Soriano, president of the AFGE Local 3403, which represents NSF employees. Their full list of concerns was: 'A Proposed Budget Cut That Would Cripple American Science,' 'Termination of Active Research Awards Without Transparency or Lawful Justification,' 'Political Review of Scientific Grants,' 'Withholding of Appropriated Funds,' 'Unlawful Terminations and Threatened Mass Reductions in Force,' 'Coerced Resignations and Loss of Expertise,' 'Unannounced and Unplanned Eviction from Headquarters' and 'NSF's Betrayal of Scientific Integrity Through Politicized Probation Policies.' The letter comes after staff members at other agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health published letters of 'dissent' to raise concerns about Trump administration policies. The administration put the signers of the EPA letter on leave
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump's EPA eliminates research and development office and begins layoffs
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Friday it is eliminating its research and development arm and reducing agency staff by thousands of employees. One union leader said the moves 'will devastate public health in our country'. The agency's office of research and development (ORD) has long provided the scientific underpinnings for the EPA's mission to protect the environment and human health. The EPA said in May it would shift its scientific expertise and research efforts to program offices that focus on major issues such as air and water. The agency said on Friday it is creating a new office of applied science and environmental solutions that will allow it to focus on research and science 'more than ever before'. Once fully implemented, the changes will save the EPA nearly $750m, officials said. Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House science committee, called the elimination of the research office 'a travesty'. 'The Trump administration is firing hardworking scientists while employing political appointees whose job it is to lie incessantly to Congress and to the American people,' she said. 'The obliteration of ORD will have generational impacts on Americans' health and safety.' EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement that the changes announced Friday would ensure the agency 'is better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while Powering the Great American Comeback'. The EPA also said it is beginning the process to eliminate thousands of jobs, following asupreme court ruling last week that cleared the way for Donald Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce, despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. Total staffing at EPA will go down to 12,448, a reduction of more than 3,700 employees, or nearly 23%, from staffing levels in January when Trump took office, the agency said. 'This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars,' Zeldin said, using a government term for mass firings. The office of research and development 'is the heart and brain of the EPA', said Justin Chen, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees. 'Without it, we don't have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment,' Chen said. 'Its destruction will devastate public health in our country.' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The research office – EPA's main science arm – currently has 1,540 positions, excluding special government employees and public health officers, according to agency documents reviewed by Democratic staff on the House science panel earlier this year. As many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists could be laid off, the documents indicated. The research office has 10 facilities across the country, stretching from Florida and North Carolina to Oregon. An EPA spokeswoman said that all laboratory functions currently conducted by the research office will continue. In addition to the reduction in force, the agency also is offering the third round of deferred resignations for eligible employees, including research office staff, spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said. The application period is open until 25 July. The EPA's announcement comes two weeks after the agency put on administrative leave 139 employees who signed a 'declaration of dissent' with agency policies under the Trump administration. The agency accused the employees of 'unlawfully undermining' Trump's agenda. In a letter made public on 30June, the employees wrote that the EPA is no longer living up to its mission to protect human health and the environment. The letter represented rare public criticism from agency employees who knew they could face retaliation for speaking out. Associated Press contributed to reporting
