Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
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safa-science.bsky.social
Science and Freedom Alliance - SAFA
@safa-science.bsky.social
1.4K followers 260 following 540 posts
An organization of scientists and allies, incl @ NIH NSF affected by the Great Science Collapse of 2025.
We work to chart a new course for vibrant US science and academia, backed by democracy and supported by the public.
www.scienceandfreedomalliance.org
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safa-science.bsky.social
This is an inspired sign. 😃😃

Stay for the fine print.

From the NIH rally.
Lyin’all Assholes Extra seditious
October 20, 2025 at 4:20 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
Yes. As we said in August, Trump is deeply unpopular— and the more Americans learn about the Trump agenda, the more unpopular he gets.

Now is the time to say that loudly. Be not afraid. Our mission is to drive public discussion, and reach every American with this message.
Democrats: Stand Up this September and Shut Trump Down Democratic leaders can use budget negotiations to protect science — and democracy SCIENCE AND FREEDOM ALLIANCE SEP 01, 2025 View stats in the app 13 1 6 Approval ratings for Donald Trump are hitting new lows, as Americans push back against his increasingly fascist regime. Republicans often claim Trump's authoritarian overreach is justified by an electoral “mandate.” But with final counts showing more than half of the population (50.2%) voted for another candidate, this claim has always been dubious. As Trump’s approval sinks below 40%, the claim is downright laughable. Thus far, Congress and the courts—intended to check and balance Presidential power—have abdicated their roles, allowing Trump to run roughshod across the Constitution, infringe Americans’ freedoms, and erode the U.S. scientific enterprise. As the Supreme Court continues t
October 13, 2025 at 3:15 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
From us in August

“How bad is this Supreme Court, really?
It is very, very bad. The Court has ruled in favor of Trump on the shadow docket in 17 straight cases. The actions of the Court this year have been described, in quotes from different parties, as "lawless,"
How bad is this Supreme Court, really? It is very, very bad. The Court has ruled in favor of Trump on the shadow docket in 17 straight cases. The actions of the Court this year have been described, in quotes from different parties, as "lawless," "mak[ing] a mockery of the careful work responsible district judges do," "utterly lawless," "a lawless rubber stamp for Trump's authoritarian agenda," "unerringly blessing Trump's power grabs," "facilitat[ing] [Trump's] abuses of power by expanding executive authority to new heights," "lawless," and.. (you guessed it) "lawless."
October 12, 2025 at 5:11 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
The Murray-DeLauro CR proposal includes a provision to add an inspector general at OMB.

That would be a personal oversight person watching over Russell Vought. It would be a huge deal.
We should insist on it.

Stop the Vought lawlessness: add an OMB IG.
Section 143. Inspector General of the Office of Management and Budget. Establishes a new Inspector General of the Office of Management and Budget to investigate actions taken by OMB and appropriates $20 million for necessary expenses of the new Office.
October 9, 2025 at 9:01 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
“The government is shut down because Trump and the Republicans are hellbent on taking health care away from you.”

@schumer.senate.gov does some anger. He does some teaching. He has average people on camera.

It is really awesome. More of this- and we should make this trend!
Schumer in front of a whiteboard
October 8, 2025 at 3:11 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
This is a legitimately amazing video from @schumer.senate.gov

Please watch.

Thank you, Chuck Schumer!

youtube.com/shorts/Bl01O...
No f*cking way. Share @SenatorSchumer Subscribe The GOP is hellbent on taking health care away. Let's break it down:
October 8, 2025 at 3:07 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
Their view is that the law isn’t real. And their corrupt Supreme Court supermajority is letting them get away with it.

Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito took bribes from a billionaire behind project 2025. Gorsuch’ “patron” is a Project 2025 billionaire.
AXIOS • But the new White House memo from the Office of Management and Budget argues that GEFTA has been misconstrued or, in the words of one source, is "deficient" because it was amended nine days later, on Jan. 25, 2019. • "Does this law cover all these furloughed employees automatically? The conventional wisdom is: Yes, it does. Our view is: No, it doesn't," a senior White House official said. Friction point: The new OMB analysis is a major departure from the administration's own guidance issued by the Council of Economic Advisers this month and the Office of Personnel Management last month. Both said furloughed workers should get automatic back pay after the shutdown.
October 7, 2025 at 1:42 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
“Dems could switch postures to the one I’ve advocated:
Sorry, we simply can’t vote for a deal that you will abrogate and use to violate the law.
Suddenly Democrats would be the ones on reasonable ground…” @brianbeutler.bsky.social
Michael Linden @MichaelSLinden - 20h I was at OMB in 2021 when Dems controlled Congress. g .... If we had insisted on a partisan approps bill, with no negotiations, that we knew Rs couldn't support, does anyone think for a second that Rachel Bade would have blamed Republicans for the ensuing shutdown. Rachael Bade & @rachaelmbade • 20h Thing is, DEMOCRATS shut the government down. Not Republicans. Small technicality, I know. (Facts are funny things!) x.com/nicholaswu12/s... • 10. C143 © 1.4K 1hl 55K 企 Liam Donovan ~ @LPDonovan • 17h 9 .... what about a 7 week CR is partisan beyond Dems refusing to support it. be specific. 6 08 贝 Michael Linden @MichaelSLinden - 15h I can answer that easily. If the CR included provisions to prevent partisan rescissions and unilateral cuts it would be clean. Those are not provisions that would have been necessary for it to be clean in a previous time (even the last Trump admin). But they clearly are now. Linden is completely correct about the real reason Democrats can't cave, but you'll notice it has nothing to do with health care. A thousand versions of this exchange are happening across the political elite this week, and if through that process of argumentation, Democrats belatedly recognize that they need to change the basis of their demands, then the ball will be in the GOP's court. It's getting pretty
October 2, 2025 at 1:14 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
Rep. Delia Ramirez joins federal workers to demand Congress stand up to a lawless Trump administration— including standing up to Russell Vought and his lawless threats.

She's fighting for the people.

@delia.bsky.social @ramirez.house.gov
October 1, 2025 at 1:47 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
Obviously illegal, and yet the Project 2025 Court let it go ahead anyway.

Clarence Thomas has deep ties to Heritage, the Project2025 lead organization. His wife worked there; he gave speeches there; he even visited the interns there.
Matthew Sitman @Matthew... •3/26/22 ••• Listen, the Thomases are a team. When I was a Heritage intern as a young conservative, Ginni brought in Clarence to visit with the interns. The idea that there's some wall of separation btw their respective, uh, professional activities is willful naivety 289 L0 5.2K 28K
September 26, 2025 at 11:49 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
“Support those who signed dissent letters … like the Bethesda Declaration.”
Yes.

Cc @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social @ianlmorgan.bsky.social @27unihted.bsky.social
Support those who are speaking out, and publicize their acts of courage. More than 30 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees were put on administrative leave out of the 180 who signed an open letter of dissent expressing concern about the agency's direction and leadership. At the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 100 federal workers and scientists were put on administrative leave for speaking out against the administration's anti-science actions and decisions. The National Institutes of Health's (NIH) "Bethesda Declaration," was signed by almost 500 NIH workers and scientists, and almost 300 workers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) signed their names to the "Voyager Declaration." Check out the Stand Up for Science website, and the Substack of former NiH employees who have established the Science and Freedom Alliance.
September 26, 2025 at 3:07 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
“The Trump administration wants to bring about the largest drop in federal support for American science since World War Il. … science has been "long a key driver of the US's global pre-eminence," as Guardian journalist Robert Tait writes.”
Let's repeat that: the Trump administration wants to bring about the largest drop in federal support for American science since World War Il. You've got to have a real thirst to end America's superpower status to want such an ambitious cut. You've got to really want other nations to thrive. But science has been "long a key driver of the US's global pre-eminence," as Guardian journalist Robert Tait writes, and so it has to be destroyed. And the purge must be so thorough that it will take decades to recover.
September 26, 2025 at 3:05 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
@hurricanexyz.bsky.social and @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social -

you'll love this declaration asking the Art I branch to stand up to stop the crisis. See above from Sen Murphy, and details here:
September 18, 2025 Dear Senators and Representatives, We, the undersigned federal workers from across the federal government, write with urgency as Congress approaches the September 30 funding deadline. The continuing resolution (CR) you pass—or fail to pass—can determine whether Congress reasserts its constitutional powers, or allows further erosion of our democracy and harm to the public. We are the workers who respond to natural disasters, protect our food and water supply, deliver new cures, keep people healthy, and serve the American people in many other ways. This is the government of every American, and the Trump administration is destroying it. The administration has clawed back funds duly appropriated by Congress, dismantled federal agencies, and trampled on the rule of law. These are not ordinary policy disputes; they are deliberate acts of authoritarian overreach. Our three branches of government were designed to protect against such overreach. Alongside executive overreach, the Supreme Court has permitted Trump administration actions that lower court judges have declared flatly illegal. Congress must get off the sidelines and use its constitutional powers, as the Article I branch, before our republic is irreparably harmed. We call on you to pass nothing less than a fighting CR: a funding bill that not only keeps the lights on, but that also includes statutory protections to rein in executive lawlessness. The fight may lead to a shutdown. As federal workers, we will be personally affected by that, along with the public. We do not want a shutdown, but we will accept a temporary shutdown to preserve our government on behalf of the American people. Congress must use this and future budget bills to protect public goods and government services that benefit every American. Core Protections for the American People Core Protections for the American People We see four types of provisions for a fighting CR, to rein in the lawlessness and Constitutional violations of this administration. Defend healthcare, science, safety, and public health. Bring back Affordable Care Act subsidies on a permanent basis. Restore agencies’ ability to operate based on scientific evidence by removing political interference by the president or political appointees. This includes ending arbitrary grant terminations, funding halts, and vaccine decisions by political appointees with no relevant scientific credentials. Reverse cuts and policy changes that affect access to veterans’ care, Social Security, Medicaid, disaster relief, and infrastructure that millions of Americans depend on. Stop the lawless impoundment of congressionally appropriated funds. Congress—not the White House—decides how taxpayer dollars are spent. Fully funding our services means nothing if the president can unilaterally ignore or redirect that funding. In particular, Congress should ensure that funds from this fiscal year can and must be spent, as appropriated, even after Sept. 30th, to foil the Trump administration's lawless actions to impound funds. Protect the federal workforce needed to carry out our agency missions from unlawful purges, retaliation, and reorganizations. Reinstate staff fired without cause, stop lawless reductions-in-force that have been allowed to proceed by the Supreme Court, and restore merit-based civil service protections. Use the power of the purse to halt destruction of independent agencies, for example by removing funds from OMB if independent commissioners, who were unlawfully fired without cause, are not reinstated. Stop the destruction of federal unions via bogus 'national security' reclassifications. Protect civil liberties. Ban deployment of federal troops to U.S. cities, give DC complete power to spend its budget, including funding its schools and teachers, unmask ICE and other federal law enfo… Members of Congress: Obey your Oath Like all federal workers, members of Congress are sworn to "protect the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Constituents—like farmers relying on NOAA forecasts and USDA support, veterans at the VA, patients awaiting clinical trials, and people on Social Security income—are already being harmed by the administration’s actions. Every member of Congress should be clear-eyed: ceding more of Congress’s power to avoid a shutdown will only worsen the damage, embolden authoritarianism, and cost the country more in the long run. Do not repeat March’s mistake, when a bad CR paved the way for mass firings across our agencies, gutted science, slashed healthcare access, and emboldened further attacks. We cannot wait for future elections; people in this country are suffering now. There is risk, but this is a moment unlike any of our lifetimes. The country needs you to lead the fight, not avoid it. We urge you to accept nothing less than a fighting CR, even if that means accepting a government shutdown. The greater shutdown is already underway: the shutdown of our democracy. Do not accept short-term measures that will only delay the inevitable need for Congress to assert its power to stop authoritarianism. Accept only a CR that defends the American Republic. Our Commitment as Civil Servants Our oath of office leaves us no choice but to blow the whistle on reckless and lawless mismanagement by the executive branch that is endangering the American public (see Appendix). More than 800 of us have signed this letter. We have signed in our personal capacity, on personal time and equipment. Many have signed anonymously because we no longer have confidence our legal rights as civil servants will be upheld. Many more support the letter but fear retaliation for signing, even anonymously, after our EPA and FEMA colleagues were punished for bravely raising alarms about the dismantling of their agencies. We know the First Amendment protects our right as civil servants to speak out truthfully on matters of public interest without government retaliation (confirmed by an 8-1 Supreme Court in Pickering v Board). That many of us fear exercising this right to free speech illustrates that this moment is a constitutional crisis. We will accept a shutdown if that is what it takes to protect the American Republic and its people. We have firsthand experience that shutdowns are painful: most of us will go without pay and many of the vital services we provide the public will be disrupted. But the short-term disruption pales in comparison to the long-term damage the Trump administration will inflict on our country if given another unchecked opportunity to dismantle our public goods and freedoms. Healthcare, education, safety, national security, and democracy are on the line. We took an oath. You did too. Will you uphold yours? Respectfully, Current and Former Federal Workers from across federal agencies including:
September 25, 2025 at 7:19 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
Especially with Trump and Brendan Carr blocking Jimmy Kimmel's free speech, the First Amendment rights of federal workers are very important to highlight today.

Thurgood Marshall said "[gov't employees] are the members of a community most likely to have informed opinions about [government]" /2
Why is signing the letter within federal workers’ free speech rights? In short: signing the letter is an expression of free speech and protected by the First Amendment. But who knows how the administration might retaliate anyway. Federal workers have substantial free speech rights, and this administration claims to care deeply about free speech. Signers of this letter should be able to speak about this matter of public concern without worrying about retaliation. Current legal precedent is that federal workers are often protected by the First Amendment when speaking out about matters of public concern. That may seem unusual, in an era when private employers have fired employees for speaking in their personal capacity. But the Supreme Court has ruled that a public employer, like the federal government, may not muzzle its employees or penalize them for their expression to the same extent that a private employer can. Government employees speaking in their personal capacities about matters of public concern have rights — because the public’s interest is served by being informed of things that government employees know. More importantly, the question whether a school system [that is, government] requires additional funds is a matter of legitimate public concern on which the judgment of the school administration, including the School Board, cannot, in a society that leaves such questions to popular vote, be taken as conclusive. On such a question free and open debate is vital to informed decisionmaking by the electorate. Teachers [government employees] are, as a class, the members of a community most likely to have informed and definite opinions as to how funds allotted to the operation of the schools [government] should be spent. Accordingly, it is essential that they be able to speak out freely on such questions without fear of retaliatory dismissal. - Justice Thurgood Marshall, writing for an 8-1 Supreme Court majority in Pickering v. Board There is almost no greater matter of public concern than the operation of our Constitution and the collapse and lawless undermining of our executive branch. However, despite precedent, it seems likely that the current Supreme Court, if presented with the matter, would find it legal for the government to punish employees for signing a letter such as this. For that reason, for fear of retaliation for protected speech, we have provided options for anonymously signing the letter.
September 19, 2025 at 12:01 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
“We want Congress to pass a fighting [continuing resolution] that does not only keep the lights on, but includes checks on this administration’s authoritarian overreach and protections for our institutions" ...

YES.
1/
www.govexec.com/workforce/20...
Protestors denounce cuts to NASA’s staff, budget and union rights Several speakers at the protest also urged Congress to pass a continuing resolution that prevents the Trump administration from impounding agency funding. September 15, 2025 06:10 PM ET NASA Budget Unions
September 16, 2025 at 1:03 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
We must make a fuss [now]

and
"We talk to many [science advocates] who are desperately worried but don’t know what to do—don’t know who has the power to help, and how. We agree with @brianbeutler.bsky.social : Schumer and D leadership underestimate the backlash if they fail to fight here"
meeting, in the hope of getting answers to these questions. Not to establish conditions for Democratic votes, just to see how uncompromising Republicans intend to be.” And the most important part: “unless grassroots Democrats get wind of their broader approach, and make a fuss, Schumer and Jeffries will continue down the road to surrender.” We must make a fuss! Now is the time to speak out for a fighting CR and make sure Democratic leadership stands up for us. Beutler has a follow-up piece later in the week. That piece is mostly about Trump, but covers the CR fight too. It leads with “It’s probably an understatement to note that Democratic leaders in Congress are badly out of step with the national Democratic electorate.” This is important. One of the reasons to be hopeful now is that engaged Democratic voters are angry and want more fight, they just need to know what’s happening and what can be done. The same thing is true for scientists and science advocates: we talk to many of them who are desperately worried but don’t know what to do — don’t know who has the power to help, and how. We agree with Beutler: Schumer and Jeffries and Democratic leadership underestimate the backlash they will see if they fail to fight for this CR.
September 9, 2025 at 4:41 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
Cancer research is featured at the Washington Spirit soccer game today.

But wait! What is the American Cancer Society doing?

They feature a player saying breast cancer hits Black women especially hard—but there’s zero mention of Trump destroying disparities research.
That’s the whole ballgame!
Photo of Audi field / Washington Spirit big screen. A player talks about cancer affecting black women and needing more resrse h Photo of Audi field / Washington Spirit big screen. Pink ribbons
September 7, 2025 at 7:49 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
In our piece last week we said

“Shutdowns affect voters' lives and [draw attention]. Drawing attention is a big part of fighting Trump, as long as Democrats use it to drive media coverage and tell the country that they'll let the government shut down rather than let Trump destroy the country.”
Democrats have momentum to push back this time around. Beyond using the CR to obtain statutory provisions to check Trump, a government shutdown can actually be used to help Democrats make the case against Trump. A shutdown would draw attention to the disaster that Trump, with Republican support, is unleashing on American power, prestige, jobs, and society. Shutdowns affect voters' lives and hit at kitchen table issues. Drawing attention is a big part of fighting Trump, as long as Democrats use it to drive media coverage and tell the country that they'll let the government shut down rather than let Trump destroy our Schumer's recent refusal to make a deal with Senate Maioritv I eader lohn Thine on
September 7, 2025 at 1:48 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
This does not sound like a real apology!!

“It's incumbent upon me to apologize to Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh if they think anything this court has done has been done in defiance of a precedential action of the Supreme Court.”

“IF.”
Supreme Court Voting Rights Act Unsigned Orders in Tru with a alfierent agency. "Before we do anything, I really feel it's incumbent upon me to - on the record here — to apologize to Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh if they think that anything this court has done has been done in defiance of a precedential action of the Supreme Court of the United States," said Judge Young, who was appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1985. "I can do nothing more than to say as honestly as I can: I certainly did not so intend, and that is foreign in every respect to the nature of how I have conducted myself as a judicial officer," he added. Since the beginning of President Trump's second term, the Supreme Court's conservative majority has sided with White House in nearly every case it has considered.
September 3, 2025 at 11:59 AM
safa-science.bsky.social
What can you do to help? Here is a list of actions!
Please share.
Take action early and often throughout the month of September. Actions you can take to back Senate Dems as they stand up for a fighting CR Post on social media (Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc) asking Democrats in Congress to stand firm and accept nothing less than a CR that constrains Trump. Video content can be particularly compelling, especially if you share what matters most to you. Bonus points if you tag your senators and representatives! Good hashtags: #FightingCR, #ShutTrumpDown. We will reshare content if you tag us: please follow us on Bluesky, and subscribe to our blog. Contact your representatives: You can call or email on your own or organize with members of your community to hold a call-in day. If your Senator is a Democrat, ask if they will vote against cloture (i.e., support a filibuster), unless it is a fighting CR. If your Senator is a Republican, tell them you reject Trump’s lawbreaking and expect the CR to reflect that. Join your local Indivisible group and get on their weekly calls. Bird-dog public events: Go to any event your representatives appear at and
September 1, 2025 at 6:19 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
The way to stop Vought's lawless and unconstitutional behavior is for Congress to step up and re-assert its power as a co-equal branch.
Approval ratings for Donald Trump are hitting new lows, as Americans push back against his increasingly fascist regime. Republicans often claim Trump's authoritarian overreach is justified by an electoral “mandate.” But with final counts showing more than half of the population (50.2%) voted for another candidate, this claim has always been dubious. As Trump’s approval sinks below 40%, the claim is downright laughable. Thus far, Congress and the courts—intended to check and balance Presidential power—have abdicated their roles, allowing Trump to run roughshod across the Constitution, infringe Americans’ freedoms, and erode the U.S. scientific enterprise. As the Supreme Court continues to rubber stamp Trump’s lawlessness, the urgency grows for Congress to step back into its power. Thus far, Congressional Republicans seem to remain cowed by fears of retaliation in the form of being primaried or even physically harmed. As the minority party, Democrats have had few options to vote down Trump’s agenda. One key avenue for Democrats to sway legislation is appropriations, or the budget. The next major deadline is September 30th, when the government will shut down unless Congress passes a funding bill. The Congressional plan for the end of September is a continuing resolution (CR), extending last year’s funding levels while any appropriations (budget) negotiations continue.
September 1, 2025 at 6:18 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
Yes. IF you are in a personal position to do so.

"The Risks Are Real, But You’re Not Alone
Let’s be absolutely clear: No one should feel pressured to take this path. NIH staff who refuse illegal orders may face severe retaliation from the Trump administration. They could lose their jobs..."
The Risks Are Real, But You’re Not Alone Let’s be absolutely clear: No one should feel pressured to take this path. NIH staff who refuse illegal orders may face severe retaliation from the Trump administration. They could lose their jobs. They could be doxxed, targeted by social media mobs, their mortgage records disclosed by Trump political appointees, or even raided or prosecuted by a weaponized Justice Department. No one should be judged for choosing not to take these risks. Everyone must assess their own risk tolerance, their family situation, and their financial security. This isn't a movie where heroic resistance comes without consequences. This is real life, where standing up to power can upend careers and livelihoods. But some NIH employees are at the end of their rope. They're being torn apart by contradictory and harmful guidance from above, ordered to destroy the very scientific enterprise they've devoted their careers to building. For those who have the security, the courage, and the conviction to say no—who can afford to risk their positions for their principles—this option exists. For those not in a position to be on the front lines of resistance, smaller and less risky ways to push back are also available. NIH staff can deprioritize terminations, without comment or explanation, instead investing their time in legal and needed activities like advancing the many pending grant awards. They can fail to terminate awards by taking sick leave at opportune moments, slow-walking their tasks, or feign
August 28, 2025 at 9:22 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
And if you're not an NIH employee there are ways you can help.

This week's events at the CDC make it clear that US science and heath are in deep trouble. There's never been a better time to speak up about NIH, HHS, CDC, and the US science, medical, university, and health systems.
/end
For those outside NIH — external scientists including at universities, allies and members of the public — you can help too. A small set of actions: Tell your members of Congress to speak out in support of NIH employees who want to uphold the law. Call your representatives, arrange meetings, and go to their town halls. Post on social media expressing support for the loyal civil servants who are acting in ways large and small to protect US science, freedom, and democracy. Tag us or email us when you post, and we will share. We are all in this together.
August 28, 2025 at 12:36 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
No one should feel pressured to take this path. The risks are real.
The Risks Are Real, But You’re Not Alone Let’s be absolutely clear: No one should feel pressured to take this path. NIH staff who refuse illegal orders may face severe retaliation from the Trump administration. They could lose their jobs. They could be doxxed, targeted by social media mobs, their mortgage records disclosed by Trump political appointees, or even raided or prosecuted by a weaponized Justice Department. No one should be judged for choosing not to take these risks. Everyone must assess their own risk tolerance, their family situation, and their financial security. This isn't a movie where heroic resistance comes without consequences. This is real life, where standing up to power can upend careers and livelihoods. But some NIH employees are at the end of their rope. They're being torn apart by contradictory and harmful guidance from above, ordered to destroy the very scientific enterprise they've devoted their careers to building. For those who have the security, the courage, and the conviction to say no—who can afford to risk their positions for their principles—this option exists.
August 28, 2025 at 12:34 PM
safa-science.bsky.social
NIH and other science agency people are not used to evaluating the law and refusing illegal orders.

But doing so is their right and even their responsibility.
The Right and Responsibility to Refuse NIH employees don't just have a right to refuse illegal orders—they arguably have a responsibility to do so. They need not wait for a court to rule, and they certainly don't need to blindly follow their General Counsel's office. The HHS and NIH offices of legal counsel, like the Supreme Court, have been corrupted by Republican partisans, who also are connected to the conservative legal circles that are producing the strained legal theories now common in Supreme Court decisions. This is a crucial point: NIH staff are accustomed to following "guidance" from above, including from the General Counsel's office. But legal guidance is just that—guidance, not the law. It's one interpretation of the law, often shaped by political considerations. In an usual time, when norms are upheld, rule of law holds, and political appointees follow their oath to the Constitution, it can make sense to follow guidance from above with no independent evaluation of the law. But this Administration’s partisans and Fox-host appointees are committing egregious violations of the law and Constitution. A “just say no” mindset is a hard thing for NIH staff, as at NIH it has often been the norm to follow guidance whatever it is. This differs from some other agencies, like the Department of Justice, where the culture is more focused on the law. DOJ employees have often refused to follow orders they know to be illegal.
August 28, 2025 at 12:33 PM