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Action Alert: Oppose Political Interference in Federal Research Funding

June 28, 2021

Jul 9, 2026

Editorial credit: Shutterstock

The Office of Management and Budget has proposed a rule that, if enacted, will establish new requirements for all grants made by departments and agencies in the federal government. Under this proposal, the White House would control federal grants for science, mathematics, and engineering research based not on merit, but on partisan political concerns. Political appointees would control which researchers and institutions receive funding and how the funding could be spent. 

Political interference in federal funding for science, mathematics, and engineering would undermine the independence of a key pillar of our democratic norms: the ability to rely on merit-based and factual research.

Please submit your comments by midnight, July 13, 2026, opposing the proposed rule and the risks it poses to the rule of law and our democracy. Tell the federal government that the funding of science, mathematics, and engineering research must not be politicized.

Our Action Alert and Briefing Materials detail why this proposal violates federal law and the Constitution, including the First Amendment rights of research institutions and researchers. 

Every day, this administration continues to dismantle critical functions of the federal government through staffing reductions, program eliminations, and policy changes that increase the risk of air and water pollution, undermine food safety oversight, and threaten the independence of our justice system, even as it deploys its law enforcement powers against perceived political opponents and other critics.

LDAD continues to work every day to protect the rule of law and the justice system. We will succeed with your help. Join the effort to restore the rule of law throughout our government. Together, we are an effective force for good.

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