Politics and Science

The American people depend upon federal agencies to develop science-based policies that protect the nation’s health and welfare. Recently, however, leading scientific journals have begun to question whether scientific integrity at federal agencies has been sacrificed to further a political and ideological agenda.

At the request of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, the Democratic staff of the Government Reform Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives assessed the treatment of science and scientists by the Bush Administration.

Latest News

HHS Restricts Communications between U.S. Scientists and WHO Officials

A new HHS policy requires the World Health Organization to submit all requests for expert scientific advice to political officials at HHS who pick which federal scientists will be permitted to respond. The new policy and two recent Administration decisions to withdraw federal scientists from major international health conferences are part of a disturbing pattern of political interference in global health issues.

State Department Issues Revised Terrorism Data

New data, released by the State Department to correct serious mistakes in the initial Patterns of Global Terrorism 2003 report, shows a major increase in deaths and injuries in terrorist attacks in 2003, with “significant” attacks reaching a 20-year high.

Reps. Waxman and Tierney Introduce Bill on Investigating the Politicization of Science

Reps. Waxman and Tierney offered an amendment to H.R. 2432, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 2004, which would create an independent commission to investigate the politicization of science under the Bush Administration. The amendment, supported by prominent medical and scientific organizations, failed 201 to 226 in a nearly party-line vote.

Data Manipulation Behind Reported Drop in Terrorism

Rep. Waxman criticizes the Patterns of Global Terrorism report for claiming that terrorism reached a record low in 2003 when the underlying data shows that significant terrorist activity was actually at a 20-year high.

DOD Questioned on Retroactive Classification of Testing Program Assessments

Reps. Waxman and Tierney ask the Defense Department to explain the decision to retroactively classify 50 specific recommendations, set forth by independent Pentagon evaluators, that are highly critical of the national missile defense system testing program.

GAO Examines Effectiveness of Missile Defense Testing Program

In a report prepared for Reps. Waxman and Tierney, GAO assesses what is known about the effectiveness of the missile defense system and how the Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency has addressed the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation recommendations on the missile defense testing program.

NIH Stem Cell Director: Fewer Viable Lines Than Claimed by Administration

Reps. Waxman and Slaughter reveal that the Administration may have misinformed the public about both the number of viable human embryonic stem cell lines available for research and the motivation behind the recent dismissal of a distinguished cell biologist from the President’s Council on Bioethics.

FDA Delays Consideration of Emergency Contraception Drug

Forty eight members of Congress write FDA about the delay in the consideration of the application for over-the-counter status for the emergency contraception drug Plan B.

'Hit List' Targets NIH-Funded Researchers

Rep. Waxman expresses outrage at a list of more than 150 scientists funded by NIH who are being targeted for their research on HIV/AIDS, human sexuality, and risk-taking behaviors. NIH is now asking these scientists to provide additional justification for their work.

Public Health Information on Federal Websites

Rep. Waxman and other members have written to HHS Secretary Thompson to protest the alteration and removal of important public health information from federal websites concerning the use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and the alleged association between abortion and breast cancer. The Department of Health and Human Services removed scientific fact sheets from its websites earlier this year, and has now reposted significantly altered versions which distort and suppress scientific information for ideological purposes.

HHS Actions Contradict Expert Recommendations

Rep. Waxman and Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking Democrat of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, along with leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian and Pacific American Caucus, write to HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson to protest HHS actions that contradict the Institute of Medicine's expert recommendations on how to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities.

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