Consortium Statement on Firings of Climate Assessment Scientists

April 30, 2025

On Monday, the Trump Administration dismissed all scientists and subject matter experts working on the National Climate Assessment (NCA). The report, which is required by Congress and released every few years, provides vital data on the national impacts of climate change and how it affects nearly all facets of American life, including the economy, natural resources and human health.

Below is a statement from Lisa Patel, MD, executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. The Consortium brings together medical societies to protect all people from the devastating health impacts of climate change and climate-related pollutants. The Consortium represents over 1 million physicians across the U.S.

“Health professionals across the country regularly treat patients whose health is harmed by climate change. Sometimes it’s babies born early due to extreme heat and other days it might be children experiencing an asthma attack caused by wildfire smoke. Firing everyone who contributes to the National Climate Assessment will do immeasurable harm moving forward. Turning a blind eye to climate change won’t lessen its harm to our people, communities and economy. It will leave us unable to respond.

“Whether or not a factual, evidence-based National Climate Assessment is released in the coming years won’t change the fact that people will continue to suffer from the health effects of climate change. Congress requires this report every four years, starting under President George W. Bush, and changing course is another dangerous attack on science that undermines Congress and threatens us all. This decision will leave us underprepared to meet the rising tide of worsening climate disasters.

“This critical report helps us prevent death and illness from extreme heat, pollution, wildfires and more caused by climate change. This lack of knowledge can hurt everyone, but it will have an even greater impact on children, the elderly, and people who are pregnant or already sick.

“Firing the scientists is just one of many steps this Administration has taken to undermine and ignore the expertise of the scientific community. As health professionals, we’ll continue to do what we can to protect our patients, but we can’t do it well without reports like the NCA. We strongly oppose the dismissal of the NCA scientists and stand in full support of their efforts to complete the report as planned.”