It’s wonderful that Americans of all political parties have benefited from decades of American medical research and development, including treatments for heart disease, leukemia and HIV; vaccines against flu, COVID and polio; and many other medical inventions and discoveries. The list of accomplishments is long.

For many of us, presidential politics used to seem distant, and not connected to our health and daily lives. That is no longer true.

Tragically, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and congressional Republicans have shattered the decades-long bipartisan agreement that our government should fund scientific and medical research.

The administration has wiped data from medical websites, including the Center for Disease Control; fired hundreds of government scientists; plans to drastically cut the budget of the National Science Foundation; canceled a meeting to develop the flu vaccine for the fall; and canceled payments to hospitals and universities for lab space, research equipment and staff to help patients enroll in clinical trials.

The Trump-Musk funding freezes have stalled research into heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other conditions. Their proposed Medicaid cuts threaten the lives of Oregonians and the existence of rural hospitals. This is happening while deadly measles and medical misinformation spread. The list of destruction is long.

We must protect our future! Contact Sen. Ron Wyden at 202-224-5244, Sen. Jeff Merkley at 202-224-3753, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici at 202-225-0855 to thank them for opposing the administration’s cruelty and recklessness. Get active with organizations uniting to oppose authoritarianism, bigotry and corruption. Stay informed.

Courage is contagious.

LAURIE CAPLAN
Astoria