The White House’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget (It’s not looking good: New report digs deep on federal cuts and Maryland’s economy, June 18, 2025) would gut federal science agencies, threatening key Maryland industries including aerospace, clean energy and artificial intelligence. I urge Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks to defend our economy and research infrastructure by rejecting these cuts.

As an astrophysicist funded by the National Science Foundation, which faces a proposed cut of more than 50%, I know how important this funding is to American innovation and the Maryland workforce. Federal grants allow me to support talented students to work in my research group, where they develop analytical and technical skills that many use in private industry or nonprofit work after graduation.

If these budget cuts pass, these young scientists will be forced to abandon their education, leaving a gap in our talent pipeline from which it will take at least a generation to recover. Furthermore, the current draft budget would cut 50% from the maintenance and operation budget of our observatory, which took over a decade to construct and has produced numerous scientific discoveries, potentially threatening its long-term viability.

Maryland benefits substantially from federal science agencies. Our institutions of higher learning received over $20 billion in STEM research grants during 2019-2023. This funding attracts students and scientists to Maryland’s colleges and universities and keeps them in our state after graduation, contributing to our high-tech industries. Without this funding, we would see our state’s economy erode as we fail to maintain up-to-date energy, aerospace and AI workforces.

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Our senators must stand up for American science and prevent a grim future for Maryland by maintaining robust federal funding of the science agencies.

Kara Hoffman is a professor of physics at the University of Maryland, College Park.

The Baltimore Banner publishes letters to the editor, exclusive to our publication, of no more than 350 words. Letters can be submitted for consideration to letters@thebaltimorebanner.com.