ASPET Government Affairs and Science Policy Department Progress in the Current Landscape
By Marah Wahbeh, PhD and Carter L. Alleman, JD
ASPET’s Government Affairs and Science Policy Department is making meaningful progress in strengthening the voice of the pharmacologist community in federal policy conversations. As pressures on research funding and the broader research ecosystem continue to grow, our work advocating for evidence-based policy and sustained investment in science has never been more vital.
Championing Sustained Investment Federal Research
The Department’s most significant work continues to be its role in the defense of federal funding for core science agencies. Despite a polarized budget environment, our coordinated advocacy, from direct engagement with Congressional offices to grassroots mobilization of our members, helps push for sustained funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through coalition leadership and strategic communications, we help shape a bipartisan narrative around the importance of protecting the United States global competitiveness through research and innovation.
Some of the notable coalition letters that ASPET has joined this year include:
- Response letter to House and Senate appropriators calling on them to reject the proposed cuts to HHS.
- Research!America’s letter to Congress Appropriators concerning the President’s NIH budget request. The letter asks to stop the request and fund NIH at $51.3 billion.
- Endocrine Society’s letter to Congress highlighting HHS and NIH continued delay of releasing appropriated funds and drawing attention to the Administration’s attempt of restructuring NIH without Congress’s approval.
- The American Psychological Association letter to Congress calling for oversight and transparency for the Reduction in Force (RIFs) released earlier this month.
- The American Institute of Biological Sciences letter to Congress urging Congress to assert its constitutional authority and take immediate actions to reverse recent policies impacting science.
- Letter by the Council of Professional Association on Federal Statistics (COPAFS) to Congress addressing the removal of federal data at various agencies.
- Letter by the American Psychological Association intended to serve as a powerful, collective statement from our organizations that emphasizes the importance of science and lets members of the research community, academics, educators, and practitioners know that we are willing to stand up for their work.
Elevating Scientist Voices
One of the Department’s key beliefs is that we, as staff, are only part of the advocacy equation. The other part is you, the member, the scientist, the researcher. We work to empower you in all career stages to engage with policymakers directly. Through workshops, toolkits, the Department works to educate on the policymaking process and train members to effectively share their stories.
Several of our past events include:
- Washington Fellows Program Hill Day
- This past February, the 2025–2026 Washington Fellows along with some Council members and past fellows completed 25 meetings, 15 in the Senate and 10 in the House with both Democrat and Republican offices of 11 states.
- ASPET Council Hill Days
- Calls to Action
- Action alert urging our community to email their elected officials about the President’s budget. So far 159 messages have been sent.
- Action alert during ASPET’s Annual meeting urging our community to email their elected officials about their concerns about the future of science, science funding, and our talented science workforce. 201 messages were sent.
- Action alert urging our community to email their elected officials asking them to oppose the damaging cuts to NIH Facilities and Administration costs. 322 messages were sent.
In addition, the Department is preparing to launch two new “Scientist” and “Society” initiatives. Through the “Scientist” initiative, ASPET will provide education to members and encourage them to meet with lawmakers in their own districts. The initiative is in response to the continued messages from Members of Congress on the importance of in-district meetings to drive home the value of science and science funding, especially on a local level. More on the “Society” initiative is to come in the coming months but in brief, ASPET works across various other organizations to advance our goals. We are working with some of our coalition partners on what will be a public relations campaign which will help scientists become advocates and empower them to tell their stories. We are excited about this initiative and cannot wait to share more soon!
Departmental staff is not solely responsible for advocacy efforts; we work closely with ASPET’s Science Policy Committee and its subcommittees.
Several ASPET Science Policy Committee activities this year include:
- Providing remarks during the Opening Session at ASPET Annual 2025 on the current landscape for science and how ASPET is responding.
- Releasing a Statement on FY2026 President Budget Request.
- Submitting questions to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions for the nomination of Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya to serve as the Director of the National Institutes of Health.
ASPET’s Science Policy Committee, staff, and engaged members of our community have been working hard to make sure the voices of the scientists are heard. We thank you for your support as we continue to push for what is best for science and the scientific community.
