The 60,000-member American Geophysical Union has now joined the legal fight against the Trump administration’s wholesale slashing of the federal scientific workforce.
Self-described as the world’s largest association of Earth and space scientists, the AGU signed on as an additional plaintiff in a lawsuit previously filed on behalf of a government workers’ union and others. This legal conflict could flare up anew at an urgently called court hearing Thursday afternoon, even as scientists seek other means of defending their work outside of the courtroom.
“The administration’s callous, indiscriminate firings of critical public servants have weakened the scientific enterprise, which in turn inflicts great harm upon the public,” Janice Lachance, the AGU’s interim executive director, said in a statement, adding that “federal science and scientists are vital to safety and our national security.”
Approximately 8,000 AGU members work for the federal government.
