People around the country are taking action today to stand up for science. Join the national day of action to voice your support for federal investments in research and science education.
The biological sciences community needs to express its opposition to further cuts to the federal programs that invest in research, support education, and protect natural resources. These programs are essential to ensuring America’s global competitiveness, growing the economy, and addressing pressing social, public health, and environmental issues.
It’s easy to get involved. Send a prewritten letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Call your members of Congress. Send a Tweet to your elected officials.
Under current law, federal programs face devastating across-the-board budget cuts over the next decade. Unless Congress and the President act to prevent further cuts, non-defense discretionary programs, such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of the Interior, NOAA, and EPA, face mandatory 8.2 percent budget cuts next year, with further cuts over the next decade. Defense, including medical and environmental research supported by the Department of Defense, and security programs would be cut by 9.4 percent in 2013, with additional cuts in the subsequent years.
The net result of sequestration could be the loss of $12 billion in research funding next year; the loss of 31,000 jobs in the life, physical, and social sciences; and delays in the construction and renovation of facilities for research and environmental conservation.
Please join the national day of action.
Need more information? Watch this three-minute video from AIBS that explains the fiscal cliff and how it is likely to impact science. AIBS has also prepared a report about the fiscal cliff and budget sequestration.