Dear ESA Members: Today, Wednesday, June 18th, 2014, the US Senate is scheduled to begin debating its bill to increase funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in fiscal year (FY) 2015. We are asking you to contact your senators today if you agree increased funding for the National Science Foundation is important for ecological science.
Step 1: Write your letter Step 2: Email your Senators, http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm? OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC Email Subject Line: Please Support Science in S. 2437 Sample Letter Dear (Insert your Senators name.), I write to express my support for sustained science investment in S. 2437, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act of 2015. I appreciate the bipartisan manner in which the committee developed this bill and request that Senators oppose amendments that would undermine the National Science Foundations (NSF) existing peer review process or cut funding for STEM education, biological, geological, behavioral and social sciences. Americas efforts to innovate and maintain our global competitiveness depend on sustained-federal funding for scientific research. If enacted, S. 2437 would provide $7.255 billion for NSF, which is $83 million higher than the fiscal year (FY) 2014 enacted funding. This Senates budget number is lower than the $7.4 billion included in the CJS House Appropriations bill passed last month. Any further cuts would significantly hinder NSFs budget capacity to keep pace with inflation. The legislation also contains $5.4 billion for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a $105 million increase over the FY 2014 enacted level. I urge you to reject any amendments that would cut NOAAs climate research funding. The data provided from climate research is crucial for management efforts related to drought, flooding, and torrential storms and also helps our nation understand long-term trends in atmospheric changes. I appreciate Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and House CJS Appropriations Chairman Frank Wolf (R-VA) for their collaborative bicameral work in supporting sustained investment in federal research. My hope is for a final conference bill, agreed upon by Congress this fall, which sustains critical investment in scientific research that allows our nation to innovate and maintain our global competitiveness. Sincerely, (Insert your name.)
