[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 153 (Thursday, September 18, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H4419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FUNDING CUTS TO SCIENCE

  (Mr. Peters of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because we face a critical 
moment for American leadership.
  Amid mounting pressure to compete with China in energy, 
biotechnology, and AI dominance, any smart country would invest in 
itself and invest in the future. Unfortunately, this administration 
seems committed to doing the exact opposite.
  Funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the National 
Science Foundation have kneecapped the world-class research ecosystem 
that has made America great in the 20th century.
  The politicization of science hurts the health and well-being of 
hardworking American citizens, and it compromises our ability as a 
nation to compete with other nations.
  During August, I held a townhall with hundreds of my constituents who 
are researchers and graduate students in science, technology, 
engineering, and math. During the townhall, I discussed the dangers of 
this administration's agenda for public health, national security, and 
global competitiveness, and they asked that I tell you some of their 
stories.
  One researcher studies ocean and Earth sciences at San Diego's 
prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her research focuses 
on addressing the threats that toxic algal blooms pose to public 
health, fisheries, and coastal recreation.
  With cuts to NASA, NOAA, and the National Science Foundation, she has 
seen labs at Scripps shut down and watched her coworkers lose their 
jobs.
  Another scientist whose research focuses on ensuring energy security 
has felt the consequences of this administration's policy. She has had 
her research censored by an administration that is indifferent to and 
may be hostile to scientific research. She has watched critical 
datasets and research tools disappear from government websites 
overnight. As she so aptly put it: ``I have sacrificed so much of my 
livelihood for the betterment of our planet, only to see it all burn 
down in less than half a year.''
  Myiesha, a researcher at UCSD, overcame her own traumatic brain 
injuries and chronic illnesses so she could study the effects of 
infectious diseases on vulnerable patients. Now, Myiesha faces a new 
challenge: overcoming an administration that has cut her authorized 
research, cut her working hours almost in half, and cut her income 
significantly.
  Mari is a Ph.D. candidate studying biomedical sciences at UCSD. She 
researches the neuroscience behind drug addiction so we can fight the 
opioid crisis. Just as her field gained momentum--overdose deaths 
declined in 2024 for the first time in over two decades--her lab was 
threatened with funding cuts. Mari has watched her lifesaving research 
be halted and had two of her own fellowship applications withdrawn 
because of the administration's actions.
  Eugene is a Ph.D. candidate at Scripps. He is researching how to 
repurpose bacteria to stop certain cancer-causing proteins. The lab 
next door to Eugene's was doing a $129 million trial on monkeys, 
working to develop an HIV vaccine. After the Trump administration 
canceled the lab's grant, the monkeys were killed needlessly, funding 
already spent was wasted, and patients will now have to wait even 
longer before we find an HIV vaccine.
  Maya, a UCSD grad, cofounded BrainStorm Therapeutics, a biotech 
startup researching treatments for brain diseases like Alzheimer's, 
Parkinson's, and epilepsy. Maya has seen the grants that support 
startups like hers cut. This threatens the transformational science 
that she and her colleagues are working on.
  The final story I will tell, and maybe the most emblematic of the 
issue, is that of Dr. Ardem Patapoutian. He is a world-renowned 
researcher who won the Nobel Prize for his work on researching the 
sense of touch.

                              {time}  1100

  Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree that is the kind of talent we 
strive to encourage in this country.
  When his research funding was delayed by the Trump administration, 
Dr. Patapoutian received a call from China within 2 days. They offered 
him his pick of whatever research institution he wanted in China, 
guaranteeing his funding for the next 20 years.
  Although his funding is still delayed, Dr. Patapoutian chose to stay 
here because of the world-class research ecosystem in the United States 
that is currently being eroded and under attack.
  These stories show the risks we take when we cut funding that 
supports critical scientific advancement. China is far outpacing us in 
the research and development space. If we are going to keep up, we have 
to put up. If those of us in this body are truly serious about putting 
America first, this is simply not the way.
  It is encouraging that, despite the administration's attempt to 
politicize science, a bipartisan bloc of the Senate Appropriations 
Committee has chosen to modestly increase scientific research funding 
rather than cut it. I am very thankful for that. I hope we will do the 
same here in the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the commitment to investing in America's 
future. We in the House should do the same. We need to invest in 
science and not undercut it.

                          ____________________