When reckless politicians shut down the government this fall, they didn’t just go after the health care law—they gloated about sending home thousands of safety inspectors, experts, and scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Staffers on the Senate Environment Committee publicized a list of reasons the shutdown was good, in which they mocked the EPA and celebrated the fact that 15,000 EPA workers were off the job.¹

The most effective way to undermine science is to get rid of the scientists. But the ideologues and short-sighted politicians on Capitol Hill didn’t anticipate the scientists fighting back. During the shutdown, UCS heard from hundreds of federal scientists and experts about how it was affecting them—and the important and sometimes time-sensitive work they should have been undertaking. Then we pushed this information out to policy makers and the media to show, in vivid terms, the value of science to our nation.²

But science faces a new round of attacks in the coming budget battles. If you want to keep driving rapid-response information and campaigns that defend science from politicians who find the facts inconvenient, now is the time to pitch in.

Make a tax-deductible year-end gift today to reach our ambitious $400,000 goal for December.

Scientists are one of the most respected groups in the United States.³ Decision makers pay attention when they speak. That’s why it’s so important to our democracy that scientists be allowed to speak.

And you help make that possible. UCS supporters were instrumental in passing groundbreaking whistleblower protections for federal scientists. With your help, we shared the stories of more than 400 federal experts who talked about censorship at their agencies—and politicians listened.

Your gift today will help equip scientists to dive into the most pressing policy debates we face—from the Farm Bill to wind power to the impacts of climate change—and refute the misleading and deceptive rhetoric of cynical industries and front groups.

Our Science Network gives 20,000 scientists and technical experts the chance to connect with policy makers and directly impact laws and policies that affect our families and our planet. We teach scientists how to clearly communicate their research to the public. And how to respond to attacks.

But we need your help to make sure more scientists are seen, heard, and heeded.

Please make a tax-deductible gift now and help defend scientists from attacks.

When you donate today, know that you’re making a wise investment.

UCS has received Charity Navigator‘s esteemed 4-star rating for the last seven straight years—an honor shared by only 2 percent of charities, and we were named one of the most effective organizations working on climate change by Guidestar‘s Philanthropedia.

UCS supporters are people from all walks of life—parents and businesspeople, biologists and physicists, teachers and students—more than 350,000 citizens and scientists who are committed to defending science, year in and year out. Thank you for being part of this powerful community.

Sincerely, Kathleen Rest, PhD, MPA Executive Director

1. http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=bcf73a09-9371-2ef5-f1cf-9ca752c89cad 2. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=government-shutdown-was-temporary-the-damage-to-science-permanent 3. http://www.pewforum.org/2013/07/11/public-esteem-for-military-still-high/