National Labs Kill the Cuts Letter

To whom it may concern:

We, the undersigned, are scientists, engineers, technicians, and others who work at or collaborate with the U.S. National Laboratories that are primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Our work helps our country achieve our energy goals through improving efficiency in our electrical grid, generating and storing energy to meet our nation’s needs, understanding and advancing our use of AI and high performance computing, and more. DOE investments in our National Labs ensure that our critical work can continue, while also providing additional benefits to the U.S. economy by not only enabling our development of strategies to control energy costs for U.S. consumers but also by supporting innovation through User Facilities, technology licensing, and public-private partnerships.

We are, therefore, deeply concerned about the proposed cuts to DOE budgets, including the 14% cut to the Office of Science and the 74% cut to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. If enacted, these could curtail our ability to meet our nation's most pressing challenges and stifle the economic activity that stems from our pioneering research. While we share the goal of smart, efficient use of taxpayer dollars, investments at the National Labs have been highly productive. For example, a 2020 study found that Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) alone creates 20,000 jobs nationwide and that for every $100,000 invested in LBNL, the U.S. sees an estimated $276,000 in economic output. Similarly, Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) produces a new invention nearly every day and has licensed over 774 PNNL-developed technologies to industry partners since 2000. Since LBNL, PNNL, and eight other National Laboratories receive substantial funding through the Office of Science, the proposed significant cutbacks threaten this high impact work.

We're proud that our work has been a tremendous, ongoing success story for the entire nation. Please take action to ensure that the final budget results in no cuts to DOE Office of Science, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and other critical research.

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Share your story: have you already been impacted by federal funding restrictions? How might proposed cutbacks impact your work?

As a Postdoc at LBNL, you are part of UAW Local 4811. Once you click submit, you will be redirected to a form where you can sign up as a dues-paying member of your union. Strong union membership is essential for having the power to fight back against these threats to research and our livelihoods.