National Science Foundation freezes payments in response to executive orders | Hacker News Reader

National Science Foundation freezes payments in response to executive orders

npr.org

34 pointsmizzao13 comments

>This presents a huge challenge to the NSF. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 has several provisions tied to NSF that explicitly require it to broaden participation in science, and earlier laws governing the foundation have similar language. That means that in addition to weighing the intellectual merit of proposals, NSF must consider how the research it funds will expand "participation of women and individuals from underrepresented groups" in science — something studies show leads to more productive science.

So the order in this case violates the law?

But who can defend the law if the department is staffed by loyalists, and there's a broader effort to filter out anyone "disloyal"?

They are violating multiple laws. The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) of 1946 contains the rule that prevents the U.S. executive branch from acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner.

The reason for this law is so that Government operates in a steady and understandable way and doesn't have dramatic shifts due to a change in the Executive branch. Having this law allows for things like a stable society. That in turn build trust resulting in things like our stock market being a goto not just for Americans but investors all over the world. It allows for the trust in the US Government needed for our bonds to be considered safe investments. It allows for the trust in the US Government needed for the dollar to be used as the world reserve currency.

Donald Trump already lost in the Supreme Court his last term doing these sorts of arbitrary and capricious executive actions but he doesn't care that it's not only unconstitutional but also undermines the United State position as number one in the world order.

I wonder, if SCOTUS has decided that the POTUS is largely immune from much of anything, does it matter if he loses again on this point?

I feel like SCOTUS has setup the "absolute power corrupts absolutely" test where he can even choose to continuously violate the law, but there are no consequences. So why not keep at it?

SCOTUS already ruled that Trump can not do these sorts of executive actions his last term. See Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Homeland_Securit...

He did, but my question was more that now SCOTUS decided the POTUS is efficiently immune for anything he does ... does it matter if he defys/ignores any future losses?

The current executive administration is breaking a wide range of laws simultaneously- far faster than they can be stopped or prosecuted for. They will replace anybody in power that opposes them. We are in the middle of a real-time purge of our government, one that will have long-term negative consequences to multiple aspects of our society.

If you don't fund science, you give the world to other countries, especially China. If you only fund science that makes immediate profits, you never get them, as the foundation does not exist, and the researchers never learn enough to discover anything anyway.

Science, engineering, medicine and technology do not invent themselves. It takes people, sometimes for decades, to make it happen overnight. If you spend nothing, you get nothing. I guess nothing is now the plan.

> If you don't fund science, you give the world to other countries, especially China.

Who are you telling this to, me or the government?

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