Friend,

I never used to think that consumer safety was a partisan issue. But President Trump’s administration recently fired dozens of scientists who are responsible for testing the food we eat and the prescription drugs we rely upon.

These experts worked in labs across the country, testing the safety of infant formula, studying the health effects of e-cigarettes, monitoring bird flu risk, ensuring milk and seafood are packaged to keep bacteria out, and getting lower-priced generic prescription drugs to market.

The massive layoff was a part of Trump’s reckless “move fast and break things” approach to decimating the federal workforce. He’s already fired experts within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health who focus on the safety of coal miners and firefighters, plus 3,500 public servants within the Food and Drug Administration.

Here’s a sliver of good news: after resounding public outcry, the administration agreed to re-hire at least some of the public servants who work to keep us safe. So let’s keep speaking out.

Americans shouldn’t have to go to the grocery store or the pharmacy and hope for the best. For 118 years, the F.D.A. has protected us from rotten food, dangerous drugs, and deadly diseases.

The Administration only re-hired those scientists because Americans made their outrage known. It’s going to be a long four years, but I need you to keep pushing back on Trump’s dangerous presidency.

— Jim