Trump cuts to science advisory boards have long-lasting consequences, researchers say

Key Points:

• Netia McCray, diagnosed with long COVID early in the pandemic, joined a federal advisory committee on long COVID in 2025 but the committee was abruptly terminated after a few months, reflecting a broader trend of over 100 science-focused federal committees being disbanded under the second Trump administration.
• These advisory committees, established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, bring together experts from diverse fields to advise federal agencies on complex scientific and health issues, but many have been dissolved recently, raising concerns about loss of independent expertise and diverse viewpoints.
• Experts like pediatrician Dr. Alexandra Yonts and infectious disease researchers emphasize that these committees provide critical real-world perspectives and help develop practical guidance on urgent health problems such as long COVID and drug-resistant infections like Candida auris.
• The termination of committees also reduces important checks on government authority and transparency, as advisory groups have historically influenced policy decisions and held agencies accountable, exemplified by advisory roles in NASA and the Department of Energy.
• Officials from dissolved committees and advocacy groups warn that without these independent advisory bodies, scientific issues risk being neglected or siloed within agencies, potentially impairing federal responses to public health and research challenges.