1. United States
2. Conn.
3. Letter

I am writing to express serious concern about recent actions taken against the USDA’s National Plant Germplasm System (N.P.G.S.), a cornerstone of our nation’s food security. As reported in the New York Times ("Why Did Elon Musk Go After Bunkers Full of Seeds?" – March 22, 2025), the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under Elon Musk’s leadership, recently terminated key N.P.G.S. staff responsible for safeguarding our agricultural genetic resources. Although some have been reinstated by court order, their work remains stalled, and further budget and staffing threats loom. The N.P.G.S. maintains over 600,000 genetic lines across 200+ crop species, including 62,000 varieties of wheat. This work is critical to responding to emerging crop diseases, pests, and climate-driven challenges. For example, when a deadly form of wheat stem rust emerged in East Africa in 1999, researchers turned to N.P.G.S. collections to find resistance genes—an act that helped avert a global food crisis. Similar stories abound across crops, from apples to soybeans. Despite its critical role, the entire N.P.G.S. operates on just 0.0008% of the federal budget. This minimal investment supports a $1.5 trillion agricultural economy. Undermining it would threaten not just research and farming, but our national ability to adapt to future food system shocks. I urge you to take immediate action: 1 Ensure Full Reinstatement and Funding: Reinstate all terminated N.P.G.S. personnel and safeguard the program’s future through consistent federal funding and support. 2 Demand Oversight of DOGE: Congress must scrutinize DOGE’s decisions, particularly those impacting vital scientific institutions. 3 Protect Genetic Resource Collections: Introduce or support legislation that insulates the N.P.G.S. from arbitrary disruption and ensures its long-term stability. The N.P.G.S. is not a relic—it’s our frontline defense against agricultural catastrophe. Generations before us had the foresight to build it. We must now protect it. Thank you for your leadership and attention to this urgent matter.