Getting Involved: Contacting Your Michigan Congressional Office

February 11, 2025

Advocate for Bioscience Funding: Contact Your Michigan Congress Members

Following today’s email regarding proposed cuts to NIH funding, many of you have asked how to contact your Congressional official and share perspectives about issues of the day.Why should you get involved with advocacy?


Scientists, business leaders, rank and file employees, and anyone involved in the biosciences industry need to ensure continued public support for biomedical research, development and manufacturing by making the case that federal support for our industry is a good investment of tax dollars. Innovation is an economic driver. Innovation provides novel treatments, products and technologies that save lives.


You have credibility. Scientists are uniquely qualified to explain their research, its implications for public health and why scientific research and training are in the national interest and therefore worthy of federal investment. As a business leader, you understand how research and development impact manufacturing and jobs, your bottom line, and what your company contributes to the state’s economy.


You have credibility as a constituent. Your members of Congress work for you, and they want to know what is on the minds of voters in their district. Members of Congress want to find opportunities to advocate for the concerns of their constituents and the needs of their district and state. Your story sells better than any statement from lobbyists.



Own the narrative (or someone else will). Advocates for other causes are constantly asking Congress to support them. The biosciences industry should speak up too. The bio-industry employs nearly 2.3 million Americans with a $3.2 trillion economic impact nationally. In Michigan, almost 48,000 individuals are employed directly, accounting for $55 billion to the state’s economy.


CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Below is a list of Michigan’s delegation liked to their contact pages for your convenience. Rules only permit constituents to write to their respective elected official.


RECENT ARTICLES

April 15, 2025
MichBio seeks a highly motivated individual who can work creatively in a small team environment and assist in data mining, compilation, and research.
April 11, 2025
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), of which MichBio is a state affiliate recently released the results of a survey of its members, noting that “U.S. Biotechs Sound the Alarm” on tariff impacts. The findings include: Tariffs on European Union and Canadian imports would increase manufacturing costs for 94% and 82% of biotech firms, respectively. 70% of companies anticipate higher manufacturing costs due to tariffs on China. Tariffs on the European Union would force 50% of biotech firms to identify new research and manufacturing partners. More than 50% of biotech firms predict “increased difficulty” in funding and conducting research if EU tariffs are enacted. 80% of biotech firms would need at least 12 months to find alternative suppliers; 44% would need over two years. The survey noted that sudden tariffs would fundamentally punish American companies, threaten vital research projects and imperil United States leadership in biomedical science. Read BIO’s press release , along with an one-pager summarizing the survey results. 
April 10, 2025
A federal commission, in a new report , is calling for $15 billion in new financing to reinforce the United States’ biotech leadership amid encroaching competition from China. This comes against a backdrop where the Trump Administration has proposed severe cuts to NIH operations and funding. The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology was created by Congress in 2022 to explore how biotechnology advancements could shape the economy and national security. The body quickly focused on China, as that government has gone about gathering Americans’ genetic information and intellectual property in the biotech space and resourcing their cluster’s rapid growth. The report’s 49 recommendations, organized across six strategic pillars, offer a bold and actionable framework to protect U.S. biotech intellectual property and bolster drug development, agriculture, and biological weapons defense: Prioritize biotechnology at the national level Mobilize the private sector to get U.S. products to scale Maximize the benefits of biotechnology for defense Out-innovate our strategic competitors Build the biotechnology workforce of the future Mobilize the collective strengths of our allies and partners The report calls for $1 billion to create an investment fund, more than $6 billion for large-scale research challenges, and a build-up of biomanufacturing sites across the country. Also, it calls for new legislation barring companies that work with U.S. national security agencies or health agencies from using certain Chinese biotech suppliers. The commission doesn’t have the power to authorize any changes but can make recommendations and advise members of Congress. BIO issued a statement in support.