Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, sent out a series of letters on Feb. 3 to several Federal agencies with extensive science portfolios asking how they are complying with recent executive orders targeting diversity-related policies.
Included on the Rep. Lofgren’s list are leadership at NASA, the Department of Energy (DoE), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
In each letter, the congresswoman called out President Trump’s recent “anti-diversity” executive orders, and said regarded them as “comprehensive attacks on the ability of the Federal government to promote access to scientific opportunity for all Americans.” She also criticized agencies’ willingness to comply with those kinds of policy changes.
On day one of his second term, President Trump signed two executive orders – one directing agencies to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and to terminate staff working on them, and the other ending diversity and equal employment opportunity hiring programs at agencies.
“Efforts to promote greater scientific diversity in this country did not arise on a whim. Over the course of many decades, this Committee has worked in bipartisan fashion to authorize Federal programs and offices that broaden representation across the scientific workforce and harness the intellectual capabilities of Americans throughout society,” Rep. Lofgren’s letter reads.
These laws, she explained, “represent the will of Congress. They are not optional, and they cannot be unilaterally wished away by executive order.” She further informed leaders of each science agency that they’re “required by law to carry out the directives set forth by Congress.”
Since the executive orders were issued a slew of Federal agencies – including those that received letters from Rep. Lofgren – have made cuts to policies and programs as a result of the executive orders.
For instance, NASA, which has not formally announced the details of its implementation of the White House orders, has closed its Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO), and the website for the diversity office has been taken down. Additionally, in a Jan. 31st memo the space agency directed all Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES)-2024 programs to “to end the Inclusion Plan Pilot Study, remove requirements for Inclusion Plans and the evaluation factors associated with them, and adjust the content of some other Program Elements to remove references to NASA’s DEIA programs.”
Rep. Lofgren asked each agency to detail any similar actions taken thus far to comply with the White House orders, including placing employees on administrative leave, eliminating offices and positions, halting internal or external agency communications, altering or removing agency websites, modifying agency policy or procedural documents, and narrowing agency policy considerations related to research, development, demonstration programs, and commercial applications.
Additionally, Rep. Lofgren asked that the agencies provide in “detail any actions … modification, postponement, or cancelation of any existing or prospective research grant to recipient grantees.”
Agency leaders have until Feb.14 to respond.
