Amo Calls Out Trump Abandonment of Scientific Research
Congressman urges federal investments in science to reassert the United States’ leadership in innovation
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01) denounced President Trump’s illegal federal funding freeze and harmful executive orders at a House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology hearing on U.S. global leadership in science and technology. Additionally, as the Trump Administration attacks rich national celebrations like Black History Month, Congressman Amo highlighted the United States’ leadership in innovation — including the work of noted Black inventor, Philip B. Downing, a Rhode Island native who invented the modern-day blue street mailbox. At a time when the U.S. is losing ground to countries like China in scientific research funding, Congressman Amo pressed hearing participants to speak to the strain Trump’s actions are putting on our key scientific research programs.
“In the last two weeks, our scientific community has been turned upside down by President Trump’s executive orders and illegal attempt to freeze federal funding. My office has received calls from federally-funded researchers who are understandably worried that they will not be able to carry out work they were approved and funded to do,” said Congressman Amo, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment. “These Republican delays are causing the United States to fall behind. To my colleagues who argue that this pause is normal or somehow warranted, I ask you — is your loyalty to this President worth the cost of China beating us?”
BACKGROUND
During his time on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Congressman Amo has advocated for:
- Rhode Island’s Blue Economy through a district-wide tour alongside key stakeholders — from marine manufacturing companies to offshore wind training programs to leading experts in ocean research and academia.
- Legislation to bring National Science Foundation funds to Rhode Island through his Blue Economy and Innovation Act.
- Clean energy in Rhode Island as the home of the nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm.
- Groundbreaking opportunities for Rhode Islanders to fund clean energy projects through the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Artificial intelligence literacy for Rhode Island K-12 students through his bipartisan Literacy in Future Technologies (LIFT) AI Act.
- Support for small- and medium-sized manufacturers in Rhode Island through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
FULL HEARING REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
Thank you, Chairman Babin.
I’m honored to serve this Congress as the new Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on the Environment.
Where possible, I look forward to working with Subcommittee Chair Scott Franklin — especially since we agree that “America is blessed with emerging technologies that must be developed in an environmentally sound manner that is sustainable for future generations.”
However, as we hold this first hearing of the 119th Congress, I worry about the state of America’s leadership in science and technology.
The United States has led in innovation since our early days. And Rhode Island has been front and center.
Since it’s Black History Month, I’ll bring forward Phillip Downing of Providence who made it easier to send our mail with the bright idea for those blue mailboxes we see on street corners.
Our country has done great things. We discovered flight, put a man on the moon, and created the internet. The great irony of innovation is others will fill the void if we don’t keep at it.
That’s exactly what has happened. Between 1960 and 2020, our country’s share of global research and development spending plummeted from 69 percent to 31 percent.
As the United States lost ground, competitors have caught up.
China is now the second-largest spender on research and development. They’ve skyrocketed from accounting for almost 5 percent of global research and development spending in 2000 to nearly 25 percent in 2020.
If there’s one thing that unites government, industry, and academia — it’s that we must reverse this trend and restore federal funding for basic research.
Thankfully, Congress has increased the authorization levels for key agencies like the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
But it is congressional malpractice to authorize at one level and then appropriate funding that fails to meet the moment.
In the last two weeks, our scientific community has been turned upside down by President Trump’s executive orders and illegal attempt to freeze federal funding. It is preventing research in my district and across the country.
My office has received calls from federally funded researchers who are understandably worried that they will not be able to carry out work they were approved and funded to do.
Across our country, grant review panels at the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health have been cancelled. These Republican delays are causing the United States to fall behind.
To my colleagues who argue that this pause is normal or somehow warranted, I ask you — is your loyalty to this President worth the cost of China beating us?
Is it worth delaying a potential cure for disease or a breakthrough that makes America the envy of the world?
Why would you letting this happen? What is the end goal?
I yield back.
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