What are we protecting, if not us?
March for Science Chicago responds to the proposed 2018 White House Budget
Yesterday, the White House released their proposed budget for 2018, which detailed plans for discretionary spending. The budget recommends increasing defense spending by $54 billion — the equivalent of buying the actual post-World Series Champion Chicago Cubs baseball team from the Ricketts family 24 times over — while cutting funding for executive departments and agencies across the board. The greatest proportion of cuts will be felt by the Environmental Protection Agency, which sees a 31% decrease in budget — or a loss of $2.5 billion. Other taxpayer services on the chopping block provide some of the largest returns to society, and have been vital to our nation’s progress and prosperity.
To prosper as Americans, we must become the giants upon which future generations stand.
With many important programs threatened that would otherwise increase the value of the American Dream, the question becomes, “What are we protecting?” If the aim is to protect life, we should invest in improving life, and curing life-threatening diseases through research. If the aim is to protect American property, we should invest in better identifying natural disasters in advance. If the aim is to protect America’s resources, we should invest in developing strategies to reduce our reliance on limited resources, and increase the preservation of the natural resources we do have. Yet, the budget proposed appears to value the role of defense, while devaluing the American assets it aims to defend.
Consider three agencies that attract less public attention, but are no less vital to the American Dream: The National Institutes of Health (NIH), The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Department of Energy (DOE)
The EPA saves lives, and, because of the partisan politicization of its goals, often attracts the most controversy and conversation. However, consider three agencies that attract less public attention, but are no less vital to the American Dream: The National Institutes of Health (NIH), The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Department of Energy (DOE).
According to the White House’s recommendations, these three agencies will experience a combined budget cut of $8.9 billion. Yet these three agencies, much like the Department of Defense, have been imperative to public safety and American prosperity. Isaac Newton famously stated, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” To prosper as Americans, we must become the giants upon which future generations stand. In order to accomplish this lofty promise, adequate funding must be sustained for the agencies affected by the proposed budget. Doing so will ensure that they, and we, continue to build on the significant societal achievements and contributions these agencies have already made.
These agencies have been protecting the American people from disease, from natural disasters, and from nuclear proliferation; now, it’s our turn to protect them.
Protecting American Health: NIH
Reduced deaths associated with cancer and heart disease, decreased number and frequency of strokes, and development of preventative techniques to maintain a healthier lifestyles for all of us — these are but a few of the direct benefit of the more-than-300,000 investigators funded by the NIH. These researchers have been producing major medical advancements, new approaches to healthcare, and lowering healthcare costs, since 1887. In their history since, the NIH has protected public health by properly identifying countless hazardous conditions and diseases by investing nearly $32 billion annually in medical research for the American people. Today, the NIH continue their extensive research in identifying new cures and treatments to the most challenging medical issues humanity faces. The NIH looks to improve quality of life for all by protecting our health. Learn more about the history and impact of the NIH here.
Protecting American Property: NOAA
In 2016, there were 15 natural disasters totaling more than $15 billion in losses. The NOAA works to diminish those losses, and more importantly, to protect and save lives. Whether through predicting the vulnerability of dry lands to wildfire, identifying and providing sufficient warning for imminent natural disasters — such severe storms capable of producing flash floods — or even simply delivering daily weather forecasts, the NOAA provides necessary services that benefit every American. Over the decades, the agency has stayed true to its mission — proposed by President Nixon — that would work
“…for better protection of life and property from natural hazards…for a better understanding of the total environment…[and] for exploration and development leading to the intelligent use of our marine resources.” — President Nixon
On top of that, the NOAA also houses the largest archive of climate data in the world, gathered by more than 10,000 national volunteers from daily weather measurements. As climate continues to change and the resulting weather is more extreme, the NOAA’s efforts are becoming more invaluable to the safety, but even more so to the protection, of populations across the globe. Learn more about NOAA’s history and impact here.
Protecting American Resources: DOE
Managing America’s energy impacts our economy, the climate, and our position as one of the world’s leaders. Since its foundation in 1977, the DOE has made it a priority to achieve greener and renewable energies that will lessen human’s effects on climate. Close to 20% of the DOE’s budget is given to general science, technology and space research at seventeen National Labs, including Fermilab and Argonne in Chicagoland. Our current energy sources are finite, and increased demand on these limited resources will lead to national and global security risks if not managed appropriately. Most importantly, though, the DOE is given the immense duty of continuously working towards nuclear nonproliferation and the responsibility of safeguarding the United States’ stockpile of nuclear weapons. Learn more about how the DOE protects us here.
The March for Science Chicago requests that Congress reject these budget cut proposals. These agencies have been protecting the American people from disease, from natural disasters, and from nuclear proliferation; now, it’s our turn to protect them.
When weighing one’s options on how or why to stand up for science, consider the following direct impacts these cuts may have, many of which will disproportionately affect poor, rural, and minority communities:
- EPA’s efforts to study lead in Chicago’s water sources, to monitor sewage overflow into Lake Michigan and examine air quality on Union Station platforms would be threatened
- The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been cut entirely, removing funding for sanitation and beach monitoring in Chicago to improving water quality in Lake Michigan.
- Cuts to the Department of Education will reduce or eliminate teacher training, after-school programs, & aid to low-income college students in Illinois.
- $2.4 billion will be eliminated in grants to states for preparing and training teachers and school leaders, including $43 million in grants to colleges for teacher preparation
- Eliminate the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, which supports before- and after-school programs as well as summer programs. In Illinois, there are 389 21st CCLC sites that served over 47,000 students.
- Eliminate the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program, which provides grants for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. In 2016, Illinois was allocated over $32 million to award to college students for financial aid.
- Significantly reduce work-study funding for college. In 2016–2017, Illinois was allocated $47,693,174 to award to college students for the the work-study program.
- Reduce funding from federal TRIO & Gear Up programs, which help disadvantaged students prepare for college affecting the academic outcomes of low-income, first-gen students & students with disabilities.
- A reduction in cancer research that countless lives will depend on, as well as other important medical science research from which medical communities at home, and around the world, benefit.
- Decreased funding to the NOAA will slow the rapid process of delivering climate information Americans require to preserve not only their personal safety, but also the security of their local economies.
- A weakened DOE will lead to falling behind in the race for energy technologies of the future, and isolate the United States from international climate initiatives. This also will lead to a compromising on our current nuclear energy and fossil fuel infrastructures that are vital to our national security.
- The funding cuts take direct aim at climate research, eliminating critical research funding and isolating the United States from international climate initiatives.
- A gutted Environmental Protection Agency, with more than 3,000 staff positions eliminated and funding cut for programs that keep citizens, especially children and other vulnerable populations, safe from pollution in the air and water.
“Science is not linear, nor is it uniform, but the Lab system makes the pursuit of discovery — and the many solutions that result — both a collaborative enterprise and a shared national resource. Bottom line: From invention to prosperity, the return on public investment is huge.” — Department of Energy, National Labs Website
Public health matters. Personal health matters. Science matters.
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The March for Science Chicago is an Illinois nonprofit on a mission to support, safeguard, celebrate and encourage science in society and government. Join us on April 22, 2017 as we take a stand for science.
