LWVAC is launching a "What You Can Do" (WYCD) campaign where we share a series of action plans. With so much happening on the national stage, these action plans are intended to encourage you to respond to the daily breach of the rule of law and the separation of powers. Read more about this campaign here. To receive the What You Can Do actions directly, please email info [at] lwv-alachua.org (subject: What%20You%20Can%20Do)  with "What You Can Do" in the subject line. Request to be added to the email list. Messages come out about once a week. 

CURRENT ACTION TOPICS: 1) Oppose the dismantling of research 2) Bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back

Scroll down for phone numbers for legislators. Call EVERY day, at least once a day! As always, use the topics and questions that work for you. Adapt them for yourself. Hear or read something in the news today that concerns you? Call your legislators. Decide on a topic; call every day.

1) Dismantling Research 

As Jon Fansmith, Senior Vice-President of Government Relations at the American Council of Education says, “It is not hyperbole to say we could destroy a generation’s worth of scientific progress in this administration.” (Please see below for full details.)

1. Cancelled nearly 800 funded National Institute of Health projects with Florida projects being among the biggest losers.
1. Question for legislators: Florida has been a recipient of funds from the National Institute of Health for research into diseases such as cancer. Do you, (name of legislator), have a family member or friend who has had cancer? What are you doing to make up for the loss of federal funds to help Floridians receive top cancer and health care?
2. Slowed approval of research grant submissions.
1. Question for legislators: With the benefit of federal grants, Florida universities have done research in topics as varied as health care, food science, engineering science, and environmental science. Approval for grants has been slowed. What are you doing to ensure that research that benefits Floridians is unhampered?
3. Limited “indirect costs,” to universities that supports personnel, laboratories, and equipment was reduced to 15% of prior funding.
1. Question for legislators: Florida universities have done research in topics as varied as health care, engineering science, computer science and environmental science. The slashing of indirect costs is forcing research to slow, and in some cases close. What are you doing to make sure that research, which is a Florida economic driver, continues?
4. Cancelled other government grants such as those by the National Endowment for the Humanities which support schools, libraries and museums that promote activities such as reading programs in underserved rural and urban communities.
1. Question for legislator: Grants for the National Endowment for Humanities have cut funding for schools, libraries, museums and reading programs. With the gutting of the Education Department and now programs for schools and reading programs, how is America going to have a skilled work force?

2) Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia a legal US resident, was deported on March 15, without due process, on an allegation without evidence that he was a gang member.

Question for legislators: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal US resident, was deported on March 15, without due process, on an allegation without evidence that he was a gang member. This was done by an admitted administrative error.  If this legal resident was deported, and our government is not taking action to right the wrong, who’s next? Representative Van Holen had the guts to go to San Salvador to check on his well-being. What are you doing about the error, the failure of the U.S. government to turn the exiting plane around and the failure to follow a judge’s order and bring Mr. Garcia back?

Senator Rick Scott: (202) 224-5274
Senator Ashley Moody: (202) 224-3041
Representative Kat Cammack: (202) 225-5744

Details of Dismantling Research

TOPIC:

According to Nature Index, 13 March, 2024, “The United States is the clear frontrunner among the leading five countries for health-sciences research, with a share almost 4 times higher than China, in second place.” The same is true in natural-sciences research. China, however, is closing the gap in all areas of science and according to some sources actually surpasses the United States in number of science and engineering articles published in peer-reviewed literature each year, although the US continued to lead in high quality contributions.

The presidential election of 2024 puts American research leadership in grave danger. This administration has

1. cancelled nearly 800 funded NIH projects, with Florida projects being among the biggest losers.
2. slowed approval of grant submissions.
3. limited “indirect costs,” or money that supports personnel, laboratories, and equipment to 15% with the result, according to a group of university and education groups who have filed a lawsuit to halt these cuts, that “the pace of scientific discoveries in the national interest will be slowed….and progress on a safe and effective nuclear deterrent, novel energy sources, and cures for debilitating and life-threatening illnesses will be obstructed.” “America’s rival will celebrate.”
4. Cancelled other government grants such as those by the National Endowment for the Humanities which support schools, libraries and museums that promote activities such as reading programs in underserved rural and urban communities.

In response universities and other institutions have had to interrupt on going clinical trials for such conditions as colorectal cancer, terminate employees, withdraw support from students already accepted into graduate programs, and reduce the number of students admitted into graduate education. As Jon Fansmith, Senior Vice-President of Government Relations at the American Council of Education says, “It is not hyperbole to say we could destroy a generation’s worth of scientific progress in this administration.”

ACTION:

Call your legislators, let them know how you feel about science in general or particular projects, ask for answers to questions you feel are critical. Avoid absolutes because as we all know most if not all these actions are being challenged in the courts.

Some suggestions follow. Please feel free to use some or all these examples or those of your own choosing.

Choose a couple for today, use others in the next couple days.

Senator Rick Scott: (202) 224-5274
Senator Ashley Moody: (202) 224-3041
Representative Kat Cammack: (202) 225-5744

1. Tell them of your experience with a clinical trial or a special program such as a school reading program and why you or someone you know benefited.
2. Contrast a good US experience with something you or someone you know experienced in another less scientifically oriented country.
3. Ask them what they are willing to do to support the research universities in Florida.
4. Ask them what their individual plan is for preserving U.S. scientific dominance in the sciences.
5. Ask them how they will defend an administration that costs the US dominance in life-saving medical treatments?