Summary
The Department of Energy (DOE) will cut two-thirds of purchasing card (PCard) holders in national labs as part of Trump’s latest attack on science.
Researchers say the move will disrupt workflows, delay experiments, and increase administrative burdens. A technician described the policy as “creating a bottleneck,” comparing it to going “from a five-lane highway down to a two-lane highway… one way in each direction.”
Previously, PCards expedited transactions for scientific projects, but now fewer authorized users and inexperienced staff will slow procurement.
Critics argue the crackdown undermines research efficiency without yielding savings. Some labs already face $1 limits, causing frustration and uncertainty among scientists.
You mean that preventing people from being able to purchase the things they need to purchase in order to do their job will slow down their progress? Who could have possible seen that coming?