Info For Congressional Staff
Resources and background on the problem of political interference in science.
About UCS
The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world. UCS combines independent scientific research and citizen action to develop innovative, practical solutions and to secure responsible changes in government policy, corporate practices, and consumer choices.
Overview
Across a wide range of issues—from childhood lead poisoning to global warming—science is being manipulated, distorted, and suppressed.
Impacts
Without access to independent scientific information, policy makers will be unable to make informed decisions that protect our health, safety, and environment.
Solutions
UCS is working to expose abuses of science and work to create reforms to prevent political interference.
- Protection for Government Scientists — Federal government scientists play a crucial role in providing data and analyses to policy makers so they can make the best, most informed decisions about our environment, health, and national security. The public's interest thus depends on these scientists being able to carry out their scientific research without inappropriate political interference. What's more, agency scientists who speak out about distorted or suppressed scientific findings should not face retribution. Congress should pass legislation to protect the whistleblower rights of federal scientists and impose penalties, from official reprimands to dismissal, on those who misuse science.
- Scientific Openness — Federal agencies should create scientific communication policies that respect the constitutional right of scientists to speak to the public, Congress, and the media. The policies should clearly support the free exchange of scientific information in all venues, as well as investigate and correct inappropriate policies, practices, and incidents that threaten scientific openness.
- Transparency Policies — Science-based decision making within agencies should be open and transparent. Transparency will help expose manipulation of science and make political appointees and agency managers think twice before altering or distoring scientific documents.
- Independent Scientific Advice — Hundreds of scientific advisory committees advise almost every agency on matters from clean air to drug safety to national security. Yet, the independence of many of these committees has been compromised in many ways. For example, members are appointed even though they have clear political, financial, or ideological conflicts of interest. Congress should address this problem by ensuring full transparency in the selection and activities of such committees, while minimizing the selection of committee members with conflicts of interest. Congress should also provide sufficient funding so that agencies can find the best, most independent scientists and other experts for these committees. Finally, Congress should forbid the questioning of nominees to scientific advisory committees about their political affiliations or past political support.
- Oversight and Accountability—Congress, the media, and the public have to expose and speak out against abuses of science.
UCS supports the following legislation that will help advance reforms to prevent political interference in science:
- Whistleblower Protection: H.R. 985, the Whistleblower Protection Enchancement Act of 2007, which passed in March with a 331 to 94 vote and S. 274, the Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act which is awaiting floor action in the Senate.
- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Reform Act, S. 2045: Media reports and investigations paint a picture of an agency where staff professionals - human factors experts, chemists, engineers, statisticians, and others – are not free to raise concerns about product safety.
Contacts
Celia Wexler, Washington Representative
cwexler@ucsusa.org, 202-331-6943
Karly Kaufman, Legislative Assistant
kkaufman@ucsusa.org, 202-331-5428
Resources
- Interference at the EPA: Science and Politics at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: A 2007-2008 investigation combining dozens of interviews with current and former EPA staff members, analysis of government documents, and a questionnaire sent to 5,419 EPA scientists. The report reveals an agency under seige--hundreds of scientists reported political interference in their work, significant barriers to the free communication of scientific results, and concerns about the agency's effectiveness.
- Federal Science and the Public Good: A 2008 UCS report recommends steps the next president can take to restore scientific integrity to federal policymaking, highlighting recent systemic changes that make it more difficult for agencies to protect our health, safety, and environment. Prominent scientists have issued a call to action urging the next president and Congress to end political interference in science and establish conditions that would allow federal science to flourish. Nearly 15,000 scientists have called for reform since 2004.
- A-Z Guide to Political Interference in Science—The A to Z Guide showcases dozens of examples of the misuse of science between 2001-2007 on issues like childhood lead poisoning, toxic mercury contamination, and endangered species.
- Voices of Federal Scientists Series—A series of surveys from 2005-2007 designed to explore the level of political interference in science at federal agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and federal climate scientists.
- Atmosphere of Pressure: Political Interference in Federal Climate Science—An 2006-2007 investigation into the hindrance of climate research through a series of in-depth interviews with federal climate scientists and a survey of scientists at NASA, NOAA, USDA, EPA, DOE, DOD, and USGS.
