ACTION TOOLKIT Advocating for Science During the August 2026 Congressional Recess

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) guide outlines four policy priorities for the August 2026 congressional recess: supporting the Scientific Integrity Act, funding climate-disaster agencies (NOAA and FEMA), opposing legal immunity for fossil fuel companies via the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026, and addressing the energy affordability crisis. It provides tactical instructions for delivering petitions, using social media, and questioning representatives at town halls to counter perceived attacks on science by the Trump administration.

• The document identifies more than 570 attacks on science since the start of the second Trump administration, with approximately 33 percent potentially violating federal scientific integrity laws if such a law existed.
• The Scientific Integrity Act (S. 4545/H.R. 1106) is proposed to establish legal protections against the censorship and manipulation of scientific research by political or corporate interests.
• Budget and staffing cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are described as jeopardizing the nation's ability to forecast and respond to climate-driven extreme weather during 'Danger Season' (May through October).
• The toolkit urges opposition to the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026 (S. 4340, H.R. 8330), which would grant the fossil fuel industry broad legal immunity from liability for climate change damages.
• The document argues that the energy affordability crisis is being exacerbated by the Trump administration's efforts to undermine wind and solar deployment while subsidizing fossil fuels and allowing the unchecked growth of power-hungry AI data centers.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2026). ACTION TOOLKIT Advocating for Science During the August 2026 Congressional Recess. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/2026_August_recess_toolkit.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. ACTION TOOLKIT Advocating for Science During the August 2026 Congressional Recess. 2026. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/2026_August_recess_toolkit.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=ACTION TOOLKIT Advocating for Science During the August 2026 Congressional Recess |date=July 2026 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/2026_August_recess_toolkit.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2026action, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{ACTION TOOLKIT Advocating for Science During the August 2026 Congressional Recess}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2026}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/2026_August_recess_toolkit.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }