“I Don’t Think We’ve Ever Felt Hunted for Sport Before” – unidentified HHS civil servant

Daily Action
Written By Barbara Isaacman

QUICK READ: Beyond massive layoffs to HHS, every day the funding of scientific research becomes more precarious, given that Trump and Musk are making “nothing less than a very concerted attempt to shut down medical research across the United States.” Our Members of Congress must call out daily the gravity of this massive destruction and take clear steps to reverse the damages caused by MAGA’s anti-science activities before it is too late.

 
CONTENTS:

BACKGROUND

Trump’s and Musk’s war against experts and scientific knowledge and the mass layoffs at Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies are already having highly deleterious effects.

Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall reports being inundated by HHS civil servants describing the growing chaos and smothering of research at such agencies as the NIH, CDC, FDA, National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Beyond personnel layoffs, according to Marshall, the crisis around how we fund scientific research is worsening daily and has become “nothing less than a very concerted attempt to shut down medical research across the United States.” 

Grants have been frozen and interagency communication squashed. And even those not yet directly targeted are suffering from interrelated injuries to the “ecosystem of clinical research.” 

We have an avian flu outbreak, multiple cases of measles in Texas, and a tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas. The work of Medicare and Medicaid agencies is being compromised and disrupted. Critical cancer research and life-saving trials have been interrupted. Numerous federal health websites are down and/or their data purged.

Even worse, our public health system is losing the experience of frontline people and will continue hemorrhaging when others forsake government careers. Opioid addiction researcher Jane Liebschutz warns of this disruption’s “long ripple effects.” 

Our Members of Congress must publicize daily the gravity of this massive destruction and take clear steps to reverse the damages caused by MAGA’s anti-science actions before it is too late.

ACTION One: Call the Senate.

Script for Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Democrats must be united in opposing the anti-science actions of MAGA Republicans and hold them accountable for the unraveling and broad destruction they are wreaking. I am calling on you to make this destruction clear to your constituents, to force the slashers and burners to testify about their atrocities, and to push legislation that will (1) reinstate those illegally fired and the funding Musk stole and (2) protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

SEN. WYDEN:

Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Democrats must be united in opposing the anti-science actions of MAGA Republicans and hold them accountable for the unraveling and broad destruction they are wreaking. I am calling on you to make this destruction clear to your constituents, to force the slashers and burners to testify about their atrocities, and to push legislation that will (1) reinstate those illegally fired and the funding Musk stole and (2) protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

You need to oppose your party’s anti-science agenda, speak out against the destruction they are wreaking on America’s scientific community, work to reinstate the fired employees and their research money, and protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

ACTION TWO: Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Democrats must be united in opposing the anti-science actions of MAGA Republicans and hold them accountable for the unraveling and broad destruction they are wreaking. I am calling on you to make this destruction clear to your constituents, to force the slashers and burners to testify about their atrocities, and to push legislation that will (1) reinstate those illegally fired and the funding Musk stole and (2) protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

You need to oppose your party’s anti-science agenda, speak out against the destruction they are wreaking on America’s scientific community, work to reinstate the fired employees and their research money, and protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

Script for Maxine Dexter (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Democrats must be united in opposing the anti-science actions of MAGA Republicans and hold them accountable for the unraveling and broad destruction they are wreaking. I am calling on you to make this destruction clear to your constituents, to force the slashers and burners to testify about their atrocities, and to push legislation that will (1) reinstate those illegally fired and the funding Musk stole and (2) protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

Script for Val Hoyle (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Democrats must be united in opposing the anti-science actions of MAGA Republicans and hold them accountable for the unraveling and broad destruction they are wreaking. I am calling on you to make this destruction clear to your constituents, to force the slashers and burners to testify about their atrocities, and to push legislation that will (1) reinstate those illegally fired and the funding Musk stole and (2) protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

SCRIPT FOR Janelle Bynum (OR-05)

DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Democrats must be united in opposing the anti-science actions of MAGA Republicans and hold them accountable for the unraveling and broad destruction they are wreaking. I am calling on you to make this destruction clear to your constituents, to force the slashers and burners to testify about their atrocities, and to push legislation that will (1) reinstate those illegally fired and the funding Musk stole and (2) protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

Script for Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

Salem office: 503-385-0906 | DC office: 202-225-5643

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Democrats must be united in opposing the anti-science actions of MAGA Republicans and hold them accountable for the unraveling and broad destruction they are wreaking. I am calling on you to make this destruction clear to your constituents, to force the slashers and burners to testify about their atrocities, and to push legislation that will (1) reinstate those illegally fired and the funding Musk stole and (2) protect the life-saving research that benefits your constituents. We are in crisis mode now and everyone’s health and future is being negatively impacted.

FURTHER READING

Barbara Isaacman
Previous

***IMMEDIATE ACTION***TELL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO REJECT THE ANTI-VOTER SAVE ACT [3-3-25]
Next

CONGRESS MUST ACT TO PROTECT FEDERAL WORKERS