Make your voice count. File your public comment by July 13.

Two weeks ago, we asked you to be ready. Today, we ask you to act.

The APS letter-writing portal is now open. It gives you a direct, guided way to tell the Office of Management and Budget — on the official public record — what its proposed rule would mean for science and scientists.

The stakes have not changed. The proposed rule would let political preference override expert peer review, restrict international collaboration, reach into the work of running your lab, and weaken the programs that train the next generation of scientists. The proposal blurs the important distinction between elected leaders setting national priorities, which is appropriate, and political appointees deciding which projects to pursue, which is not. The proposal crosses the line, threatening all science, under any administration, now and into the future.

The official comment record is critical. OMB is required to review all substantive, original comments. Those that raise specific, well-reasoned concerns carry weight in the record, while others can be set aside. In addition, well-reasoned comments help build the case for later legal action.

The portal guides you to areas that hit closest to home — grant review, international collaboration, the activities of being a scientist, and the scientific workforce. It helps you make your voice heard in your own words. Filing is straightforward, and open to anyone, anywhere. What you write is up to you.

Then do one more thing: pass this along. Forward this email to a colleague. Share the portal with your department, your collaboration, your network. Comments close July 13, and every day between now and then matters.

After World War II, science and government built partnerships that gave us MRI, the internet, and the first detection of gravitational waves. The principle is simple: society sets the priorities; merit decides the science. A public comment is how you help keep it working.

We said it two weeks ago, and we mean it even more today — we cannot let this stand, and with your help, we won’t.

With resolve and gratitude,