Reps. Adams, Brown, Rivas Lead Letter to DOJ Opposing Termination of Minority STEM Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representatives Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12),Shontel Brown (OH-11), and Luz Rivas (CA-29) led 15 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General Elliot Gaiser condemning the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel's August 12, 2026, opinion. The opinion declares three National Science Foundation STEM programs unconstitutional and directs their termination.

The opinion targets the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), and the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (IUSE-HSI). Together, these programs account for about $104 million of the $938 million Congress appropriated for NSF STEM education.

The letter notes that Congress has built, funded, and overseen these programs for decades. It argues the OLC opinion ignores that record and the country's history of excluding minority communities from scientific education and careers.

"At a time when the nation should be working to expand its STEM workforce, this Administration is continuously eliminating programs that are designed to ensure that gifted and talented students from all backgrounds have access to training and experience in scientific disciplines," the Representatives wrote."We urge the Department to reverse course and strengthen, instead of dismantling, the pathways that allow students from every background and community to contribute to our nation's future."

You can read the full letter here.