CEDAR email: Call to action from the Heliophysics Coalition
Michael Liemohn
liemohn at umich.edu
Thu Mar 6 11:04:01 MST 2025
Call to Action from the Heliophysics Coalition
From: Mike Liemohn, SPA President-Elect (liemohn at umich.edu <mailto:liemohn at umich.edu>)
As you are aware, there is currently considerable – dare we say unprecedented – uncertainty regarding the future of federal support for solar and space physics research. Reported potential impacts include reductions in workforce at these agencies, impediments to grant funding and limitations on associated overhead charges, and drastic budget cuts. While we do not yet know if or how these impacts may manifest themselves for our funding agencies, we remain confident that our work is both necessary and appreciated by the public. This includes developing research results, transitioning actionable knowledge to operations, supporting and developing our workforce, and training the next generation to ensure continuity of scientific expertise and leadership.
One way to empower ourselves in such uncertain times is to advocate. Given the rapid pace at which some of these changes are occurring – especially regarding potential workforce reductions at critical agencies – immediate action is necessary.
The most impactful way to do this is to work with the government relations professionals at our institutions, who regularly interact with policymakers and other stakeholders on the Hill. In reaching out to them, it is important to a) ensure that they understand how and why solar and space physics is important to your institution and b) work with them to craft effective messaging that they can use when communicating with stakeholders and policymakers. Notably, this is unfortunately not an option for federal employee colleagues.
As individuals, you can also contact your Congressional representatives directly; this is a right for all of us, including foreign nationals. If you are employed by the federal government, you must ensure that you are representing your views as a private citizen, not as an employee. Thus, please do not use company e-mail addresses or telephones. You can find contact information for your Representative at https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative and your Senators at https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm. This can be done for both your home and work addresses to potentially increase your impact to different Congressional offices.
To ensure consistency of messaging, we ask that your engagement be guided by the talking points provided below. Sending an email is an option, but making a phone call would potentially be much more effective; if you do call, it is best to write out your script or talking points in advance to best prepare a coherent and effective message. Feel free to amplify any topic(s) that you believe would resonate with your Representative or Senator, such as the impact of your work on the local community and/or state. In particular, emphasis should be placed on engaging Senators and Representatives – especially Republicans- on the respective Appropriations and Authorization Committees (see lists at the end of this email).
We also strongly encourage you to share this messaging and your personal story with friends, family, and colleagues, both publicly and privately, and to encourage others if they are willing to also reach out to their Representatives and Senators and amplify the support for our research.
The grassroots Heliophysics Coalition, which operates jointly with AGU and AAS, is a resource that can help guide you in how to advocate effectively. If you have specific questions, we recommend reaching out to the points of contact for the Coalition, Ian Cohen (Ian.Cohen at jhuapl.edu <mailto:Ian.Cohen at jhuapl.edu>) and Gordon Emslie (gordon.emslie at wku.edu <mailto:gordon.emslie at wku.edu>).
Suggested Talking Points:
· Your name and place of residence or work (include your full address if it is a voicemail so they can verify)
· U.S. needs to continue its decades-long investment in solar and space physics research.
· Space physics research enhances our understanding of Earth’s “home in space”, enables space exploration, and has practical applications for our national security
· “Space weather” effects on infrastructure can include impacts to communications networks, satellite operations and orbit prediction/tracking, power grids, GPS, etc.
· Space physics research is supported by a number of federal agencies, including NASA, NSF, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
· Provide high-level details of your research at your institution, assuming a middle school-level of understanding. (Feel free to add details on where you get funding from – e.g., NASA, NSF, etc.; how large your group, department, or lab is; and how your research funding affects the local area, students, etc. This is the portion where you need to get them to understand that this is a big deal to their district/state and not just you as an individual.
· Maintaining robust support within these agencies will allow the U.S. to maintain its world leadership in space and avoid possibly irreversible effects on our nation’s preeminence in this critical field.
· Specific and immediate concern that many departments and agencies that support and enable this research are currently undergoing rapid and substantial refocusing of their priorities.
· It is critical that the staffing at these agencies – much of which has and requires highly specialized technical expertise - be maintained at a level that is commensurate with the scope of the important programs of research that they administer.
· Must ensure that the required technical expertise and staffing required to support space physics research is not forfeited within NASA Heliophysics Division, NSF Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, NOAA Office of Space Weather Observations, and pertinent areas within the DoD and DoE
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies <https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/subcommittees/commerce-justice-science-and-related-agencies>
• Sen. Moran (KS-R) – Chair
• Sen. Van Hollen (MD-D) – Ranking Member
• Sen. Britt (AL-R)
• Sen. Collins (ME-R)
• Sen. Coons (DE-D)
• Sen. Fischer (NE-R)
• Sen. Gillibrand (NY-D)
• Sen. Graham (SC-R)
• Sen. Hagerty (TN-R)
• Sen. Kennedy (LA-R)
• Sen. Merkley (OR-D)
• Sen. Moore Capito (WV-R)
• Sen. Murkowski (AK-R)
• Sen. Peters (MI-D)
• Sen. Reed (RI-D)
• Sen. Schatz (HI-D)
• Sen. Shaheen (NH-D)
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies <https://appropriations.house.gov/subcommittees/commerce-justice-science-and-related-agencies-0>
• Rep. Rogers (KY-05, R) – Chair
• Rep. Strong (AL-05, R) – Vice Chair
• Rep. Meng (NY-06, D) – Ranking Member
• Rep. Alford (MO-04, R)
• Rep. Carter (TX-31, R)
• Rep. Cline (VA-06, R)
• Rep. Clyde (GA-09, R)
• Rep. Dean (PA-04, D)
• Rep. Gonzales (TX-23, R)
• Rep. Ivey (MD-04, D)
• Rep. Moore (WV-02, R)
• Rep. Morelle (NY-25, D)
• Rep. Mrvan (IN-01, D)
Senate Subcommittee on Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation (Authorization) <https://www.commerce.senate.gov/commerce-subcommittees>
· Membership TBN, but check full Committee membership <https://www.commerce.senate.gov/members>
House Committee on Space and Aeronautics (Authorization) <https://science.house.gov/subcommittee-space-aeronautics>
· Rep. Haridopolos (FL-08, R) – Chair
· Rep. Foushee (NC-04, D) – Ranking Member
· Rep. Collins (GA-10, R)
· Rep. Fong (CA-20, R)
· Rep. Gillen (NY-04, D)
· Rep. Kennedy (UT-03, R)
· Rep. McCormick (GA-07, R)
· Rep. Salinas (OR-06, D)
· Rep. Self (TX-03, R)
· Rep. Stevens (MI-11, D)
· Rep. Webster (FL-11, R)
· Rep. Whitesides (CA-27, D)
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