Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) joined scientists from across the nation on Capitol Hill today to showcase research that has been halted due to grant cancellations by the Trump administration.
Congressman Beyer, who represents the 8th Congressional District of Virginia (which includes Alexandria), spoke at “The Things We’ll Never Know: A Science Fair of Canceled Grants,” a three-hour event hosted by House Democrats on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer. More than twenty researchers whose federal grants have been terminated presented their work to lawmakers and discussed the impact of the funding cuts.
The event, which ran from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., was organized by Science Committee Democrats led by Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), who warned that the administration’s actions are weakening America’s scientific leadership globally.
“The Trump administration has made one thing very clear: disagree with its agenda and you’re out. Unfortunately, science is no exception,” Lofgren said in a statement ahead of the event. “As Trump weakens our leadership in science, other countries celebrate, ready to take our place as the global leader of innovation.”
“The National Science Foundation—which at the direction of DOGE and the President, has been forced to cancel over one billion dollars in research grants—currently lies in my district,” Beyer said in his remarks.
The canceled research spans multiple fields, including neuroscience, astrophysics, and STEM education. Funding cuts have come from various federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, USAID, and the Department of Defense.
The National Science Foundation is also facing displacement from its headquarters in Alexandria as the Trump administration takes steps to relocate the Department of Housing and Urban Development into its space, potentially displacing approximately 1,800 NSF employees.
Beyer expressed concern about the long-term consequences of the cuts. “If we don’t staunch the bleeding, it will take decades for us to rebuild and recover the scientific enterprise that we have thoughtfully and deliberately built since World War II,” he told the gathered scientists.
The congressman cited several reasons for the research cancellations, including “petty fights with certain universities,” opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and targeting of “politically inconvenient topics.”
Among the affected research projects were those aimed at helping deaf and hard-of-hearing children learn language, advancing the understanding of diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS, and addressing pandemic preparedness. Scientists traveled from states including Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Michigan, and Illinois to participate in the event, alongside local researchers from Johns Hopkins, George Mason University, and George Washington University.
Lofgren emphasized the broader implications of the cuts, stating that the canceled grants “represent discoveries that won’t be made, diseases that won’t be cured, disasters that won’t be easy to recover from, and more.”
Beyer acknowledged that some expected lawmakers were absent due to canceled House votes this week, but assured attendees that their concerns would be shared with colleagues. “I assure you my Democratic colleagues and I are committed to continuing to stand up for science, reason, and facts,” he said.
The poster-style presentation format allowed scientists to directly engage with lawmakers about their research and the impact of losing federal funding. The event aimed to highlight what organizers called the administration’s politicization of science and demonstrate the real-world consequences of research funding cuts.
Congressman Don Beyer made the following statement at the event:
Hello, I’m Congressman Don Beyer. I represent the 8th Congressional District of Virginia, which encompasses parts of Arlington and Alexandria, just west of here. I’m extremely proud to be a voice in Congress for so many of our hardworking federal employees. Since the start of the Trump administration, I’ve been working around the clock with my constituents who have been impacted by the many cuts to federal funding and the workforce.
The National Science Foundation—which at the direction of DOGE and the President, has been forced to cancel over one billion dollars in research grants—currently lies in my district. I know we are joined today by some of the researchers impacted specifically by those NSF cuts. I am so sorry that you, and those impacted by other agencies’ cruel terminations, are being treated so poorly. I look forward to speaking with you and hearing about your work that earned you such prestigious grants.
We’re here today to learn about the things we’ll never know. A somber truth we must now reckon with as the Trump administration cuts funds for important research going on in institutions across the nation. Some of these cuts are solely because of petty fights with certain universities, some are because this administration is diversity, equity, and inclusion-phobic, some target politically inconvenient topics, and the list goes on.
One thing that this administration has made very clear is that it takes issue with anything or anyone that doesn’t fall in line with its agenda — and unfortunately, science is no exception. But here’s what’s important, inherent, and incredible about science: it has no agenda. Science has no political affiliation. Science rises above political spats, trivial vendettas, and name calling. I think all of us in this room know that. For so long, our great nation has been the envy of the world when it comes to our leadership in science, technology, and innovation. Now, our leadership is at risk. America is in danger of falling behind. If we don’t staunch the bleeding, it will take decades for us to rebuild and recover the scientific enterprise that we have thoughtfully and deliberately built since World War II, which has brought us further than any nation has gone before — to know the unknown, to make lives better, to cure diseases, and to solve our most pressing problems.
Today we gather to see, up close, and straight from those working on the solutions to our biggest problems, just what we stand to lose when science gets politicized and cast aside. We are lucky to be surrounded in this room by scientists who have travelled to Washington and taken time out of their busy lives to teach us about what they were working on before the Trump administration canceled their grant, effectively ripping the rug out from under them.Their work is impressive, and it matters. Their research was going to improve the health and safety of people in America and around the world. They were working to train the next generation of scientific leaders. Their efforts were going to expand our understanding of the world around us. We have researchers who were working to help deaf and hard-of-hearing children learn language better; advance our understanding of diseases that affect our motor system, like Parkinson’s and ALS; address the threat of the next pandemic; and so much more. We have individuals here who are local to the DMV— scientists from Hopkins, George Mason, and GW. And we have folks who have travelled across the country from Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, and up and down the eastern seaboard to present their important work and share with us their experience after their grants were canceled.
On behalf of all of my colleagues who care deeply about American science, thank you, so much, to all of you for taking the time to be with us today. As you may be aware, votes were canceled in the House for this week—because of that, many Members are now back in their districts, instead of DC, working with their communities, meeting with constituents, and doing the on-the-ground-work that so often goes unnoticed. Luckily for me, I have just about the easiest commute of any Member of Congress—I live only a few miles from here.
That said, you may not see everyone you were expecting to meet today, but for those of us who are here, we will be sure to take your messages back to our colleagues as we continue to fight back against Trump’s assault on science.I assure you my Democratic colleagues and I are committed to continuing to stand up for science, reason, and facts. Thank you, and I look forward to learning more about your research.
