Cantwell Statement on Resignation of NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan

EDMONDS, WA– Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released this statement regarding the resignation of Sethuraman Panchanathan as Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF):
“The National Science Foundation 55 percent budget cut is a deliberate dismemberment of America's innovation engine by Russell Vought and DOGE. This is exactly the type of behavior you would expect from someone seeking to make America weaker and less competitive in the face of its adversaries — it is the type of behavior you would expect from a Chinese Communist Party asset.
“Don't blame Panch for stepping down.”
In April 2023, Sen. Cantwell invited Director Panchanathan to Washington state to discuss opportunities available thanks to the CHIPS & Science Act. At the University of Washington, PanchanathantouredUW’s quantum computing facilities, then joined a forum to discuss diversity in STEM. In Spokane, Panchanathansawfirsthand how Spokane organizations have collaborated to drive the region’s current and future potential as a leader in technology innovation.