EMERGENCY action alert

 The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is complying with the Office of Budget and Management (OMB)’s political control in advance, so we need another round of public comment submissions! Submit a comment to NSF here: Just like for the OMB proposed rule, everyone needs to submit an individualized comment. The structure of the comment will be the same: Introduction, name the provisions or sections that concern you (they don’t have section numbers like OMB did), what would change, why it matters that it changes, and why you are asking NSF to strike the rules (be sure to mention tuberculosis/TB research). 

Sample topics you can comment on: 

• NSF is proposing regulation changes based on the subject-to-change proposed OMB rule, so it is too soon and a potential waste of NSF staff time. 
• In April, the Administration fired the entire membership of the National Science Board that oversaw NSF and NSF shouldn’t make any significant changes to science policy without reinstating the board and getting approval from the board. 
• NSF should not allow the termination of grants at will, per the proposed OMB regulation changes (especially based on changing presidential priorities). 
• NSF should not disallow the funding of publications, per the proposed OMB regulation changes. Taxpayers pay for science research, and we should have access to the results. Here is an online action alert that simplifies the submission process. 

Be sure to send us and your comment to members of Congress. Bonus points if you write us at leadership@stoptbusa.org and tell us how your calls/emails went! Your story may be featured in a future TB Wire. 

There are two actions you can take immediately:

1. Urge your members of Congress to oppose efforts to cut our nation’s public health workforce and infrastructure. This is the data infrastructure -- and the jobs -- essential to combatting threats to our health such as measles and the H5 Bird flu. Making cuts to the Health and Human Services (HHS) workforce endangers us all. More information, and a means to contact congress directly: https://www.votervoice.net/PublicHealth/campaigns/122130/respond

2. Urge your members of Congress to prioritize public health funding in fiscal year 2026.  We need everyone to let Congress know that their constituents want them to fight for robust funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Institutes of Health  as they develop the FY 2026 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. 

More information, and a means to contact congress directly: https://www.votervoice.net/PublicHealth/campaigns/124167/respond

The Capitol Switchboard is 1-202-224-3121 

Sample script for Senators and Representatives:

As your constituent and someone who cares about everyone’s health, I urge you to speak out against CDC cuts and in favor of bolstering our TB programmatic and research funding. Since TB anywhere is TB everywhere, we cannot afford the risk of increased rates of transmission or a rise in drug resistance. Further, we can vastly accelerate the pace of TB elimination by supporting new technologies like a much-needed TB vaccine. [Add a sentence about why you care.]* Therefore, will your boss speak to the Chair and Ranking Member of the LaborHHS Appropriations Subcommittee in support of $225 million for CDC’s TB programs for FY26? I look forward to hearing a response. [Leave phone number or email if you wish to receive a response.] 

Bonus points if you write us at leadership@stoptbusa.org and tell us how your calls went! 

*Suggestions:

1. "I lost a close friend to TB, and I know how devastating this disease can be." 

2. "The USAID cuts are expected to lead to 10.7 million more TB cases and 2.2 million unnecessary deaths." 

3. "I work in healthcare and know how interconnected our world is — fighting TB here helps fight it everywhere." 

4.  "Early testing and treatment saves lives — and costs less. For governments, prevention today means fewer expenses tomorrow." 

Find other actions you can take at our coalition partners website at https://results.org/volunteers/action-center/action-alerts?vvsrc=%2fCampaigns.