[Text/Watchman Zhang Zhongjian] According to the British journal Nature's website report on the 17th, while the Trump administration has been reshaping the US government by cutting expenditures and large-scale layoffs, scientists still working in government agencies have admitted that their work has become unsustainable.

A chief researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said that the agency is now completely paralyzed and unable to function. "We cannot hire people. We cannot recruit personnel. We cannot communicate with outsiders. We cannot travel."

Scientists working in other government agencies also stated that they are unable to afford publication fees for papers and even basic consumables needed to handle experimental samples.

Some scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were forced to suspend fieldwork because their long-term contractors were told to halt cooperation.

Meanwhile, the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), led by American billionaire Musk, is creating panic among federal employees by visiting various institutions and threatening possible layoffs.

The chief researcher at NIH believes that these reforms are "far from perfect." Although some policies were welcomed before Trump took office, the current government seems to be "destroying everything in a way that appears to make those who do this richer... rather than truly making the government work better."

The report states that the White House did not respond to requests for comment. NOAA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees NIH, have not responded either.

"Ironically, this is actually wasting taxpayers' money."

In February, the Trump administration began setting a $1 spending limit on most government credit cards, rendering them practically useless. Researchers said this move had catastrophic effects on research institutions. The labs at NIH could not purchase basic supplies such as gloves, pipettes, tissues, petri dishes, reagents, fluorescent dyes, and storage bottles. Some labs even ran out of special chemicals required for preserving frozen donor brain tissue samples. Last week, STAT news reported that NIH would lift some procurement restrictions, but the HHS, responsible for overseeing NIH, did not respond to Nature's request for confirmation of this change.

NIH clinical trials have also been affected. The laboratory at this institution, which analyzes blood samples for over 200 trials (studying cancer treatments, organ transplants, etc.), lost half its staff during layoffs. A lab member said that when things got particularly busy, the lab staff couldn't process samples quickly enough and had to borrow colleagues from other teams to help.

According to instructions from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), this researcher was laid off in February as part of an initial cleanup of probationary employees (typically those who have worked in their positions for less than two years). Although a federal judge ruled in the same month that OPM had no authority to do so, only some personnel were reinstated, while others were placed on administrative leave.

"I just want to continue my work," researchers said. Although they are happy to receive their wages again, sitting idly makes them feel somewhat helpless. They added, "This is indeed ironic, it is actually wasting taxpayers' money."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began mass layoffs on April 1, with many employees queuing outside office buildings waiting for security personnel to notify whether they can enter. Reuters

On April 8, the U.S. Supreme Court approved the Trump administration's request to block the judicial order to rehire thousands of dismissed federal workers. It is unclear how the situation of this NIH researcher is progressing, but last week, NOAA took action to dismiss probationary employees who had been reinstated. The report suggests that this time, it might be permanent dismissal.

Facing uncertain career prospects, some NOAA researchers chose to take proactive measures. A probationary scientist who was dismissed and then rehired backed up his work files to his personal computer before being placed on administrative leave. They spent several weeks analyzing data with former colleagues while waiting for news about their employment status. Before being dismissed for the second time, this scientist told Nature, "I am just doing my research." When asked if working during administrative leave is legal, this scientist replied, "I'm not sure, after all, I'm not a lawyer."

"The federal government is no longer a place anyone wants to work for."

Some federal scientists said that the government seems intent on increasing their workload. A researcher at NIH said, "To be honest, we are often bogged down by a lot of ineffective administrative tasks." They mentioned that officials from the Trump team frequently threatened to fire researchers unless they completed non-research tasks such as compiling lists of contract employees within 24 hours. Relevant parties pointed out that such administrative instructions are "strangling the scientific functions of NIH through bureaucratic red tape."

Trump administration's cuts to research funding in areas like vaccine development and climate science, along with the looming threat of new layoffs, further exacerbated the turbulent situation. "Everyone is focused on their own duties, but morale is low," another NIH researcher said.

Sergio Fernandez, a public sector management expert at Indiana University Bloomington, analyzed that the government's attitude toward scientists "could greatly harm the morale, motivation, and ultimately the performance of federal agencies and personnel." He emphasized, "This is definitely not a wise move to improve government efficiency."

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a long-time target of Trump and his Republican allies due to its strict regulations limiting industrial emissions, has been under attack. An official told Nature that they are no longer allowed to track greenhouse gas reductions from clean energy technology promotion projects. Last month, Trump administration officials announced that companies can apply for "presidential exemptions" to bypass pollution regulation.

An EPA employee said, although he really enjoys his job, "The federal government is no longer a place where everyone wants to work."

This article is an exclusive contribution from Watchman Network, unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494616825469534761/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author alone. Please express your opinion by voting 'up' or 'down' below.