Khanna, Meng Urge National Science Foundation to Fund Scientific Endeavors, Praise SECURE Program

WASHINGTON — Today, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17), Ranking Member of House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and Rep. Grace Meng (NY-6), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, sent a letter to National Science Foundation (NSF) Interim Director Brian Stone encouraging the NSF to continue work to protect American scientific endeavors and highlighting the work of the Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) Program.

 Established by the CHIPS and Science Act, the SECURE Program serves as a bridge between the research community and government funding agencies to strengthen cooperation on addressing security concerns, sharing reports and information on research security risks and providing training to the science and engineering community.

 “We need robust data-driven approaches to fortify the research ecosystem while maintaining the pipeline of talent in STEM that has been foundational to U.S. preeminence in science and technology. The SECURE Program was created for and is leading this process,” the lawmakers write in the letter.

“The foundation of America’s innovation has been built by our talented workforce, including our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. These communities have played a critical role in improving the lives of all Americans and advancing our leadership in science and technology from discovering lifesaving drugs to pioneering breakthroughs in semiconductors,” the letter continues, “Policies that close the door to talent and create chilling effects on AANHPI communities undermine our American values and scientific leadership.”

 Read the full text of the letter HERE.