(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) led 38 House Democrats in urging appropriators to maintain full funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) scientific research programs. President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget request guts funding for EPA’s scientific research programs by nearly 50-percent.

Scientists working at the agency’s three national laboratories, four national centers and 14 facilities across the country conduct painstakingly precise scientific research every day that is essential to our nation’s health and safety.

At a time when major global environmental challenges like the crisis of climate change are only intensifying, cutting EPA’s science budget in half constitutes a terrible danger to the American people. Full funding for scientific research is fundamental to nearly everything EPA does, from reviews of new chemicals and disaster relief work to assessments about how pollutants affect people and the environment.

The President’s proposal would slash EPA funding for critical scientific research, including:

  • 63% cut to Research in Air and Energy
  • 36% cut to Research on Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
  • 60% cut to Research on Sustainable Communities
  • 33% cut to Research on Chemical Safety and Sustainability
  • 100% cut to STAR Grants

In a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment & Related Agencies, the Representatives wrote:

“We urge your continued support for a strong, vibrant, and effective EPA by empowering the Agency to develop the science needed to inform its critical work protecting America’s health and environment. The Agency’s budget documents recognize how vital science is to EPA’s work, correctly pointing out that the rule of law ‘must be built on the application of robust science that is conducted to help the Agency meet its mission.’ For that reason, EPA has adopted the objective to ‘prioritize sound science.’ The request of a 49 percent cut to EPA research makes a mockery of that objective. Congress must provide the Agency’s research programs with the resources required to accomplish that objective by fully funding those vital programs.”

The full letter, signed by 38 Members of Congress, is available here.  

Congressman Jamie Raskin represents Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Montgomery, Frederick, and Carroll counties. He is the Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, a Senior Democratic Whip, and Freshman Representative to the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee. He also serves on the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee and the Committee on House Administration.