I find it remarkable that Science Twitter isn’t in absolute panic over the likely capitulation by the Biden administration* to House Republicans regarding the debt ceiling. If Republicans get their way, we’re looking at 22 percent cuts in all non-military, non-Social Security spending (and a couple of other programs)–and that’s if the cuts are equally distributed. If science gets hit worse, it will be really awful. Between these likely cuts and the pandemic, there’s a just-beginning cohort of researchers that is going to be obliterated.

So, if you’re a scientist (or care about science funding), you give a shit about your colleagues, and you have Congressional representation (unlike us denizens of the mainland colony known as the District of Columbia), you might want to make some calls. Or not.

*Biden has two obvious options: mint the platinum coin or declare that his obligations under the 14th Amendment supersede the debt ceiling legislation. But he’s a New Democrat, so he’s probably going to go Full Chickenshit–that’s what they do (and some in the administration probably want austerity policies). Biden should embrace his Inner Dark Brandon, and not only mint the coin, but wear it around his neck on a big ass chain, motherfucker.