Washington: Democratic lawmakers have raised alarm over the Trump administration’s decision to dismiss all 22 members of the National Science Board, arguing that the move could weaken America’s scientific leadership and hand China a strategic advantage at a time of intensifying global competition in research and innovation.
Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna, the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the Chinese Communist Party and the United States, and Rep. Haley Stevens said they had written to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the White House Office of Presidential Personnel seeking answers about the mass dismissals.
In their letter, the lawmakers expressed “grave concern” over the decision, saying it undermines scientific expertise, weakens independent oversight, and sends a troubling message to allies and competitors alike.
“These firings are part of a larger White House pattern of institutions and experts being ‘systematically either dissolved or eviscerated,’” Khanna and Stevens wrote.
The National Science Board serves as an independent advisory body to the NSF and plays a key role in shaping US science and technology priorities. According to the lawmakers, the board’s members were removed shortly after publishing findings on US-China scientific competition.
The lawmakers noted that the board’s 2026 State of U.S. Science and Engineering Report found that China had, for the first time, overtaken the United States in scientific research and development expenditures.
They said the board had also completed a two-page policy brief addressing those findings.
According to the letter, since the dismissals, the board has been unable to brief lawmakers on the report or provide recommendations on policies needed to ensure the United States retains leadership in global science and technology.
Khanna and Stevens argued that the dismissals come at a critical moment for American competitiveness.
They cited criticism from former board members and higher education leaders, including former National Science Board member Dr. Keivan Stassun, who reportedly described the administration’s actions as part of a broader effort to weaken scientific institutions.
The lawmakers are seeking detailed information from the NSF covering the period from April 26 to the present. Among other requests, they want to know who ordered the summary dismissal of the board and the rationale behind the decision.
They are also seeking the NSF’s response to the board’s findings regarding the research and development funding gap between the United States and China, as well as the release of the board’s policy brief on scientific competition.
“We demand a plan for how the NSF will maintain its essential functions and global standing,” the lawmakers wrote. “We demand a complete and timely response regarding the future of the NSB’s unjustly fired board. And we demand to see the White House respond to the report’s findings that China has surpassed the U.S. in R&D spending.”
The lawmakers have requested a response from the administration by June 15.
The National Science Foundation is one of the US government’s principal agencies supporting scientific research and education across a broad range of disciplines. The National Science Board, established by Congress, provides policy guidance to the foundation and advises both the executive branch and lawmakers on science and engineering issues.
(IANS)
