Science is at the core of a healthy democracy. But for years, presidential administrations have, in differing ways, sidelined scientific evidence and attacked scientific integrity.
Below is a running list of attacks on science. They include disappearing data, silenced scientists, suppressed studies, and other assaults on science-based policy. The list provides a representative sample of threats to the federal scientific enterprise—and a warning of what we face in the future.
Attacks on science
Trump Officials Ignored Concerns from EPA Scientists on Vehicle Efficiency Rule
The science-based concerns of scientists at the EPA were sidelined when the Trump administration finalized new standards for SAFE Vehicles rule in March 2020.
Political Officials Under Trump Refuse to Adopt New Dietary Guidelines
Officials from the USDA and HHS ignored scientifically backed advice for sugar and alcohol intake when releasing new dietary guidelines.
Trump administration interfered with CDC’s public outreach on COVID-19
President Trump and White House officials interfered with the work of the CDC by blocking scientists and officials from speaking to the media about the dangers of COVID-19.
EPA Officials Interfered with Chemical Safety Studies
Officials at the EPA directed agency staff to alter certain chemical safety studies in a way that downplayed the chemical’s health risks.
EPA Downgrades Severity of Cancer-Causing Pesticide
In February 2020, senior officials from the EPA omitted key scientific information from an assessment study examining the health risks of a cancer-causing pesticide.
Trump Administration Undermined Scientific Report on Endangered Species in California
Federal scientists were sidelined by the Trump administration when carrying out a scientific review on the risks to endangered wildlife from a California water project.
EPA Made it Harder to Enact New Air Pollution Regulations
The EPA released a final rule that would significantly alter how the agency analyzes the benefits and costs of new limits on air pollution rules.
Email Showing Attempted Manipulation of CDC COVID-19 Study was Buried
The CDC was ordered to destroy an email that contained evidence of a political official attempting to interfere with a COVID-19 study.
OSHA Failed to Protect Workers From COVID-19
The Inspector General at the US DOL issued a report on how OSHA failed to enact and enforce science-based safety measures during the pandemic, which in turn failed to protect workers across the country from COVID-19.
EPA Official Blocked Attempts to Inform Communities of Cancer-Causing Gas
According to the EPA Inspector General, the agency delayed informing frontline communities of the health risks they face due to living near facilities that emit ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing gas.
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