Contact Congress

Filing a public comment puts your objection into the official rulemaking record. But Congress is the other lever — and a powerful one. Congress controls federal appropriations and oversees OMB and the agencies. It has already shown it will act here: lawmakers blocked the proposed 15% indirect-cost cap in the FY2026 appropriations bills.

So do both: submit your comment to OMB and send the same message to your representatives. The more your senators and representative hear directly from constituents whose work is affected, the more likely they are to push back.

TipReuse what you already wrote

You don’t need to start over. Take the comment you filed (or drafted on the Draft with AI page) and adapt it into a short note to your membersof Congress. A good message is even shorter than a comment — a few sentences on who you are, that you’re a constituent, what the OMB rule would do to your work, and what you’re asking them to do.

Step 1 — Find your representatives

You have three members of Congress: one U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators.

Each member’s page links to a contact form, district/state office phone numbers, and often an email or webform.

Step 2 — Reach out

A few approaches, roughly in order of impact:

  1. Call the office. Phone calls to the district or DC office are often the most effective — staff tally constituent calls. Keep it to ~60 seconds (see the script below).
  2. Use the webform or email. Paste your adapted comment. Most offices only count messages from their own constituents, so use your home address.
  3. Request a meeting. District-office staff meet with constituents, especially groups (your department, lab, or society).

5 Calls is a free tool that looks up your reps and provides phone numbers and scripts, if that’s easier.

A short call/message script

Hi, my name is [name] and I’m a constituent in [city/ZIP]. I’m a [PhD student / researcher / professor] at [institution], and my work is funded by [NIH / NSF / DOE / …].

I’m calling about the OMB proposed rule on federal financial assistance (Docket OMB-2026-0034). It would [let political appointees override scientific peer review / allow active grants to be terminated for convenience / restrict international collaboration — pick what matters to you], and here’s what that would do to my work: [one concrete sentence].

I’m asking [Senator / Representative [name]] to [oppose this rule and press OMB to withdraw or substantially revise it / use appropriations and oversight authority to stop it]. Thank you.

Tips

  • Be a constituent. Lead with your city/ZIP; offices prioritize their own constituents.
  • Be specific and personal. Your real example beats talking points.
  • Be brief and respectful. A few sentences is plenty.
  • Make a clear ask. Tell them exactly what you want them to do.
  • Still file your OMB comment — see How to Comment. The two actions reinforce each other.