At APS’ Congressional Visits Day, small moments lead to big breakthroughs

At a meeting with APS members from Massachusetts, Rep. Jim McGovern showed the group a souvenir of his. “These prayer beads were blessed by the Dalai Lama,” McGovern told them. Then he grinned wryly. “They aren’t working.”

McGovern’s joke reflected a challenging political environment in Washington, D.C. Just months after the record-breaking, 43-day-long 2025 government funding gap, lawmakers started February with a budget lapse, triggering another partial shutdown.

Grassroots activists face a predicament: In a time when everything seems like an emergency, how can you make your advocacy resonate?

On Feb. 4, the APS community rose to the challenge by participating in Congressional Visits Day, an annual event where members travel to D.C. to meet with congressional staff. Over 120 APS members, divided into 25 teams, held more than 130 congressional meetings to discuss topics including R&D funding, STEM workforce development, and graduate student compensation. Participants flew in from 34 states and abroad.

This year’s CVD came after a series of attacks on federal science from the current administration. Over the last year, APS launched a successful campaign to protect funding for federal science agencies, after the White House proposed extensive budget cuts. Congress has largely rejected those cuts in recent months, restoring over $10 billion in funding across four key science agencies, and billions more for several others. Members experienced firsthand the bipartisan support for STEM during their meetings.

“I had the opportunity to speak with Congressman Ryan Zinke’s office during a coffee event,” said Deborah Good, a physicist at the University of Montana and an executive committee member of APS’ Northwest Section. “As I was leaving, I heard two of his staffers talking to each other about neutron stars. I loved how excited they seemed.”

All CVD participants attend training sessions held by members of APS’ Government Affairs team, during which staff discuss advocacy priorities and review policy data. Participants are also given folders of information, including voting records, funding breakdowns, staff biographies, and materials to leave behind with offices.

The most valuable tools members have, however, are their own personal experiences. When a staffer asked how leaders can support science without huge amounts of funding, Katherine Campbell, an APS student ambassador and undergraduate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, talked about how cultural phenomena like the Apollo space landing and Star Trek inspired those around her to become scientists. Daria Teodora Hǎrǎbor, an APS student ambassador and Harvard University undergraduate from Romania, used her experience to highlight the importance of student visas to America’s universities.

Many attendees were surprised to learn that lawmakers and congressional staff had scientific experience themselves. Rep. Eric Sorensen of Illinois talked about his background as a meteorologist. Staff from offices in both chambers included biologists, engineers, and physicists. Even Hill employees without scientific degrees had deep interests in STEM.

“One staffer we met mentioned that she had always been interested in marine biology but felt discouraged to pursue the field because she found math difficult,” said Anna Kinderman, a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an executive committee member of APS’ Far West Section. “That single anecdote served as the perfect jumping off point for discussing the importance of STEM education programs.”

Not every office was enthusiastic about science policy. When conversations became challenging, APS teams relied on their diverse backgrounds and perspectives to answer questions. Each CVD group consisted of members from a wide range of personal, community, and professional backgrounds, which allowed team members to support each other in discussions.

“There was a staffer that started asking difficult questions about teachers’ unions,” said Fathima Farheen, a Ph.D. student at Michigan Technological University and an executive committee member of APS’ Forum on Graduate Student Affairs. “We worked together to help get the conversation back on track, and it was great to be able to rely on one another.”

The day was also punctuated by unexpected moments of joy. Teams that walked by Nevada offices were greeted by a giant cardboard cutout of Elvis. One group met actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt as they were checking in for a meeting. Rep. John Garamendi of California was so engrossed in a conversation with attendees that his staff members had to drag him out of the meeting.

“On both sides of the aisle, we had some really interesting, amicable conversations,” said Eric Burkholder, a physicist at Auburn University and an executive committee member of APS’ Topical Group on Physics Education Research. “It helped restore some of my faith in politics.”