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Critics of the Trump adminsitration's war on science participated in the 2017 March for Science in cities across the country. (Photo: Molly Adams/Flickrc/cc)
A coalition of watchdog and advocacy organizations on Thursday released a new report detailing the Trump administration's nearly two-year war on science and how Congress can fight back.
Produced by 16 groups including the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Defenders of Wildlife, and Greenpeace, Protecting Science at Federal Agencies: How Congress Can Help (pdf) argues that while "scientific integrity at federal agencies has eroded" under President Donald Trump, "Congress has the power to halt and repair damage from federal agencies' current disregard for scientific evidence."
\u201cGreenpeace is thrilled to be a part of this must-read report released by #MarchForScience partners that calls on Congress to #ProtectScience! \ud83c\udf0d \u269b\ufe0f @UCSUSA @ClimSciDefense\u00a0@GovAcctProj\u00a0https://t.co/OKAUk7v0O6\u201d— Greenpeace USA (@Greenpeace USA) 1542307444
"It's so impressive," UCS's Michael Halpern wrote in a blog post on Thursday, "that all of these organizations with desperate interests have come together because they recognize the harm Trump administration actions have had on topics as diverse as workplace injuries, reproductive health, the Census, chemical contamination, tipped workers, endangered species, climate change, and air pollution."
As the report notes, "Federally sponsored scientific research and technology development have brought us the ability to explore outer space, convert sunlight into electricity, build super-computers, predict weather patterns, manufacture self-driving vehicles, and use assisted reproductive technologies to give birth."
"When political interference occurs--such as politically motivated censorship, misrepresentation of scientific findings, or the suppression of the free flow of information from the government to the public--public health and well-being suffer."
--report
However, it continues, "when political interference occurs--such as politically motivated censorship, misrepresentation of scientific findings, or the suppression of the free flow of information from the government to the public--public health and well-being suffer."
To battle the administration's attacks on science, the report calls on federal legislators to pass protective laws as well as reveal abuses of scientific integrity and increase accountability for political appointees by holding hearings, requesting investigations, and utilizing congressional subpoena authority.
From the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the National Park Service (NPS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the report points to examples of bad behavior across the federal government to identify six broad issues, and offers suggestions for tackling them.
1. Politicization of Science Within Agencies
"In several recent proposed rules, agencies have failed to uphold their responsibilities to consider relevant evidence and provide the public with necessary information," the report points out. To combat this, it suggests not only hearings, probes, and subpoenas, but also using the appropriations process to ensure that funds are spent as intended, and considering whether political appointees have a history of undermining science.
2. Threats to Science Advisory Committees and Science Advice
Acknowledging the administration's efforts to hamstring the president's science adviser, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the President's Council on Science and Technology, and advisory committees across federal agencies, the report calls for hearings and probes as well as legislation to close loopholes in the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
3. Installing Unqualified and Conflicted Government Leaders
Considering that "the current administration has filled several key cabinet positions with individuals who lack the bare minimum of relevant and appropriate qualifications," the report demands that senators use their constitutional advise and consent power to block unqualified candidates. It also recommends various pieces of legislation that aim to improve the hiring processes for civil servants.
4. Reduced Communications from Scientific Agencies
"Political appointees are increasingly censoring and suppressing scientific information, as well as deterring federal scientists from communicating openly with the public and the press," the report warns, imploring members of Congress to strengthen and pass the Science Integrity Act and improve protections for whistleblowers.
5. Whistleblowing and Scientific Integrity
The chapter dedicated to whistleblowers explains that "reprisal for whistleblowing unfortunately is real, despite the fact that whistleblowers are often the best, and sometimes the only, pathway toward holding government institutions accountable, ensuring regulatory compliance, and protecting the public's interest." Warning against "whistleblower witch hunts," it outlines ways in which lawmakers can enhance protections.
6. A Low-Information Approach to Enforcement
Although federal agencies are charged with enforcing laws enacted by Congress, the report notes that some "appear to be taking a low-information approach to enforcement: They are both weakening measures that would allow them to collect appropriate information about compliance and ignoring information they have, adopting seemingly willful blindness to violations."
The report urges lawmakers to "hold oversight hearings and initiate inquiries when a regulatory agency rolls back reporting requirements that advance transparency or displays a substantial drop in penalties or enforcement units."
\u201cIn a report released today, 16 organizations including EPN, @UCSUSA, @Defenders, @EnviroIntegrity, @DemocracyFwd, @Greenpeace @GWpublichealth, @NFFE_Union, @powertodecide call out federal agencies for #SilencingScience. Read about how #Congress can help. https://t.co/tlVX12DXHZ\u201d— Environmental Protection Network (@Environmental Protection Network) 1542307039
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A coalition of watchdog and advocacy organizations on Thursday released a new report detailing the Trump administration's nearly two-year war on science and how Congress can fight back.
Produced by 16 groups including the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Defenders of Wildlife, and Greenpeace, Protecting Science at Federal Agencies: How Congress Can Help (pdf) argues that while "scientific integrity at federal agencies has eroded" under President Donald Trump, "Congress has the power to halt and repair damage from federal agencies' current disregard for scientific evidence."
\u201cGreenpeace is thrilled to be a part of this must-read report released by #MarchForScience partners that calls on Congress to #ProtectScience! \ud83c\udf0d \u269b\ufe0f @UCSUSA @ClimSciDefense\u00a0@GovAcctProj\u00a0https://t.co/OKAUk7v0O6\u201d— Greenpeace USA (@Greenpeace USA) 1542307444
"It's so impressive," UCS's Michael Halpern wrote in a blog post on Thursday, "that all of these organizations with desperate interests have come together because they recognize the harm Trump administration actions have had on topics as diverse as workplace injuries, reproductive health, the Census, chemical contamination, tipped workers, endangered species, climate change, and air pollution."
As the report notes, "Federally sponsored scientific research and technology development have brought us the ability to explore outer space, convert sunlight into electricity, build super-computers, predict weather patterns, manufacture self-driving vehicles, and use assisted reproductive technologies to give birth."
"When political interference occurs--such as politically motivated censorship, misrepresentation of scientific findings, or the suppression of the free flow of information from the government to the public--public health and well-being suffer."
--report
However, it continues, "when political interference occurs--such as politically motivated censorship, misrepresentation of scientific findings, or the suppression of the free flow of information from the government to the public--public health and well-being suffer."
To battle the administration's attacks on science, the report calls on federal legislators to pass protective laws as well as reveal abuses of scientific integrity and increase accountability for political appointees by holding hearings, requesting investigations, and utilizing congressional subpoena authority.
From the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the National Park Service (NPS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the report points to examples of bad behavior across the federal government to identify six broad issues, and offers suggestions for tackling them.
1. Politicization of Science Within Agencies
"In several recent proposed rules, agencies have failed to uphold their responsibilities to consider relevant evidence and provide the public with necessary information," the report points out. To combat this, it suggests not only hearings, probes, and subpoenas, but also using the appropriations process to ensure that funds are spent as intended, and considering whether political appointees have a history of undermining science.
2. Threats to Science Advisory Committees and Science Advice
Acknowledging the administration's efforts to hamstring the president's science adviser, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the President's Council on Science and Technology, and advisory committees across federal agencies, the report calls for hearings and probes as well as legislation to close loopholes in the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
3. Installing Unqualified and Conflicted Government Leaders
Considering that "the current administration has filled several key cabinet positions with individuals who lack the bare minimum of relevant and appropriate qualifications," the report demands that senators use their constitutional advise and consent power to block unqualified candidates. It also recommends various pieces of legislation that aim to improve the hiring processes for civil servants.
4. Reduced Communications from Scientific Agencies
"Political appointees are increasingly censoring and suppressing scientific information, as well as deterring federal scientists from communicating openly with the public and the press," the report warns, imploring members of Congress to strengthen and pass the Science Integrity Act and improve protections for whistleblowers.
5. Whistleblowing and Scientific Integrity
The chapter dedicated to whistleblowers explains that "reprisal for whistleblowing unfortunately is real, despite the fact that whistleblowers are often the best, and sometimes the only, pathway toward holding government institutions accountable, ensuring regulatory compliance, and protecting the public's interest." Warning against "whistleblower witch hunts," it outlines ways in which lawmakers can enhance protections.
6. A Low-Information Approach to Enforcement
Although federal agencies are charged with enforcing laws enacted by Congress, the report notes that some "appear to be taking a low-information approach to enforcement: They are both weakening measures that would allow them to collect appropriate information about compliance and ignoring information they have, adopting seemingly willful blindness to violations."
The report urges lawmakers to "hold oversight hearings and initiate inquiries when a regulatory agency rolls back reporting requirements that advance transparency or displays a substantial drop in penalties or enforcement units."
\u201cIn a report released today, 16 organizations including EPN, @UCSUSA, @Defenders, @EnviroIntegrity, @DemocracyFwd, @Greenpeace @GWpublichealth, @NFFE_Union, @powertodecide call out federal agencies for #SilencingScience. Read about how #Congress can help. https://t.co/tlVX12DXHZ\u201d— Environmental Protection Network (@Environmental Protection Network) 1542307039
A coalition of watchdog and advocacy organizations on Thursday released a new report detailing the Trump administration's nearly two-year war on science and how Congress can fight back.
Produced by 16 groups including the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Defenders of Wildlife, and Greenpeace, Protecting Science at Federal Agencies: How Congress Can Help (pdf) argues that while "scientific integrity at federal agencies has eroded" under President Donald Trump, "Congress has the power to halt and repair damage from federal agencies' current disregard for scientific evidence."
\u201cGreenpeace is thrilled to be a part of this must-read report released by #MarchForScience partners that calls on Congress to #ProtectScience! \ud83c\udf0d \u269b\ufe0f @UCSUSA @ClimSciDefense\u00a0@GovAcctProj\u00a0https://t.co/OKAUk7v0O6\u201d— Greenpeace USA (@Greenpeace USA) 1542307444
"It's so impressive," UCS's Michael Halpern wrote in a blog post on Thursday, "that all of these organizations with desperate interests have come together because they recognize the harm Trump administration actions have had on topics as diverse as workplace injuries, reproductive health, the Census, chemical contamination, tipped workers, endangered species, climate change, and air pollution."
As the report notes, "Federally sponsored scientific research and technology development have brought us the ability to explore outer space, convert sunlight into electricity, build super-computers, predict weather patterns, manufacture self-driving vehicles, and use assisted reproductive technologies to give birth."
"When political interference occurs--such as politically motivated censorship, misrepresentation of scientific findings, or the suppression of the free flow of information from the government to the public--public health and well-being suffer."
--report
However, it continues, "when political interference occurs--such as politically motivated censorship, misrepresentation of scientific findings, or the suppression of the free flow of information from the government to the public--public health and well-being suffer."
To battle the administration's attacks on science, the report calls on federal legislators to pass protective laws as well as reveal abuses of scientific integrity and increase accountability for political appointees by holding hearings, requesting investigations, and utilizing congressional subpoena authority.
From the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the National Park Service (NPS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the report points to examples of bad behavior across the federal government to identify six broad issues, and offers suggestions for tackling them.
1. Politicization of Science Within Agencies
"In several recent proposed rules, agencies have failed to uphold their responsibilities to consider relevant evidence and provide the public with necessary information," the report points out. To combat this, it suggests not only hearings, probes, and subpoenas, but also using the appropriations process to ensure that funds are spent as intended, and considering whether political appointees have a history of undermining science.
2. Threats to Science Advisory Committees and Science Advice
Acknowledging the administration's efforts to hamstring the president's science adviser, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the President's Council on Science and Technology, and advisory committees across federal agencies, the report calls for hearings and probes as well as legislation to close loopholes in the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
3. Installing Unqualified and Conflicted Government Leaders
Considering that "the current administration has filled several key cabinet positions with individuals who lack the bare minimum of relevant and appropriate qualifications," the report demands that senators use their constitutional advise and consent power to block unqualified candidates. It also recommends various pieces of legislation that aim to improve the hiring processes for civil servants.
4. Reduced Communications from Scientific Agencies
"Political appointees are increasingly censoring and suppressing scientific information, as well as deterring federal scientists from communicating openly with the public and the press," the report warns, imploring members of Congress to strengthen and pass the Science Integrity Act and improve protections for whistleblowers.
5. Whistleblowing and Scientific Integrity
The chapter dedicated to whistleblowers explains that "reprisal for whistleblowing unfortunately is real, despite the fact that whistleblowers are often the best, and sometimes the only, pathway toward holding government institutions accountable, ensuring regulatory compliance, and protecting the public's interest." Warning against "whistleblower witch hunts," it outlines ways in which lawmakers can enhance protections.
6. A Low-Information Approach to Enforcement
Although federal agencies are charged with enforcing laws enacted by Congress, the report notes that some "appear to be taking a low-information approach to enforcement: They are both weakening measures that would allow them to collect appropriate information about compliance and ignoring information they have, adopting seemingly willful blindness to violations."
The report urges lawmakers to "hold oversight hearings and initiate inquiries when a regulatory agency rolls back reporting requirements that advance transparency or displays a substantial drop in penalties or enforcement units."
\u201cIn a report released today, 16 organizations including EPN, @UCSUSA, @Defenders, @EnviroIntegrity, @DemocracyFwd, @Greenpeace @GWpublichealth, @NFFE_Union, @powertodecide call out federal agencies for #SilencingScience. Read about how #Congress can help. https://t.co/tlVX12DXHZ\u201d— Environmental Protection Network (@Environmental Protection Network) 1542307039
"Eric Adams is a complete non-factor in this race," remarked a founding partner of pollster Zenith Research.
A new poll of the New York City mayoral race found that Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is very well positioned to win later this year and that former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is only competitive in the race if every other Mamdani opponent drops out.
The survey, which was conducted by polling firm Zenith Research, showed Mamdani holding what Zenith founding partner Adam Carlson described on X as a "commanding" lead of 28 points among likely voters in a five-way race featuring Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and independent candidate Jim Walden. Even in other scenarios where other candidates drop out of the race, Mamdani would still garner more than 50% of likely votes in each instance.
However, Mamdani's lead becomes much smaller when the poll is expanded to all registered voters, among whom he only holds a three-point advantage over Cuomo in a head-to-head matchup. This suggests that Cuomo has room to grow as long as he can convince Adams, Sliwa, and Walden to exit the race.
Even so, commented Carlson, Cuomo faces significant headwinds that could block his path to victory even if he succeeds somehow in making it a one-on-one race.
"Another thing that’s extremely tough for Cuomo is that 60% of likely voters (as well as 52% of registered voters) would not even consider voting for him," he explained. "Only 32% say they wouldn't consider voting for Mamdani. Cuomo will need to go scorched earth to bring that number up."
New Yorkers who oppose Mamdani will have to place their hopes in the disgraced former governor, given the dismal standing held by incumbent Adams.
"Eric Adams is a complete non-factor in this race," remarked Carlson. "He polls at 7% in the five-way race, 14% if Cuomo drops out, and 32% if Cuomo and Sliwa drop out. More than half of [likely voters] strongly disapprove of his performance and have a very unfavorable view of him. 68% won't consider voting for him."
The poll also found Mamdani with an overall lead among Jewish voters despite efforts by opponents to paint him as antisemitic given his opposition to Israel's war in Gaza and his past reluctance to criticize the slogan "globalize the intifada," which he told The Bulwark he viewed as "a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights." New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive Jewish ally of Mamdani's who has endorsed his mayoral bid, acknowledged before the election that some Jewish people view the phrase as a threat of violence.
Among likely Jewish voters, Mamdani leads Cuomo by 17 points in a five-way race. Although Cuomo holds a double-digit lead over Mamdani among likely Jewish voters over the age of 45, Mamdani dominates among young Jewish voters by pulling in more than two-thirds of likely Jewish voters between the ages of 18 and 44.
"These individuals have already taken steps to upend decades of scientific research and vaccine policy, threatening the health and safety of all Americans," said a letter signed by Sanders and seven other Democratic senators.
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday launched an investigation into U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s purge of independent experts from a panel on vaccine recommendations.
Last month, Kennedy announced that he was "retiring" all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, commonly known as ACIP, despite promising during his Senate confirmation hearing to keep the committee intact.
At the time, Sanders (I-Vt.)—chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions—warned that "firing independent vaccine experts is a dangerous, unprecedented move that will make it harder for the American people to access vaccines that are safe, effective, and essential to saving lives."
After the firings, Kennedy said, "We're going to bring great people onto the ACIP panel—not anti-vaxxers—bringing people on who are credentialed scientists."
In a letter sent to Kennedy Tuesday, Sanders and seven other Democratic senators said those fears have come to pass. Kennedy, they said, has replaced the panel of experts with "prominent vaccine deniers."
The most prominent of these figures is Dr. Robert Malone, who has described it as "high praise" to be dubbed an "anti-vaxxer."
Malone gained prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic by casting doubt on the illness's severity and baselessly suggesting that the mRNA vaccines used to treat the disease were "causing a form of AIDS."
Earlier this year, Malone also attempted to foment doubt that children had died due to the unprecedented measles outbreak in Texas.
Kennedy also appointed the former leader of his anti-vaccine organization, the Children's Health Defense, Lyn Redwood, a longtime proponent of the false belief that the vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) causes autism.
Also on the committee is Vicky Pebsworth Debold, founder of the National Vaccine Information Center—one of the longest-running anti-vaccine organizations in America—who has argued that a vaccination caused her child's autism.
ACIP is in charge of examining scientific findings to make recommendations to the public about which vaccines to get and when.
"These individuals," the senators said, "have already taken steps to upend decades of scientific research and vaccine policy, threatening the health and safety of all Americans."
When Kennedy's new handpicked committee met for the first time in late June, the members made substantial changes to vaccine policy and hinted at others coming in the future.
The most significant change they made was the recommendation that Americans receive flu vaccinations free of the preservative thimerosal—which is partially made of mercury and prevents germs and fungi from contaminating batches of vaccines.
Thimerosal, which is a component of many multidose vaccines, has never been found harmful by any scientific study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided a document to the committee that included 25 years of studies indicating thimerosal's safety. But that document was removed from the meeting without explanation.
When they questioned ACIP about its removal, the senators say Malone replied that it was "not authorized by the office of the secretary," which the senators concluded meant that Kennedy or one of his staff "had the document taken off CDC’s website."
Instead of credible science, Redwood presented a report likely generated by artificial intelligence, which included many debunked claims about the dangers of thimerosal, and even made reference to a CDC study on the dangers of the preservative that did not exist.
Kennedy's ACIP also determined that it would revise the childhood vaccine schedule that has been in place for decades. That schedule includes vaccines for polio, chickenpox, diphtheria, and tetanus—illnesses that once routinely killed children but have been virtually eradicated by mass immunization.
The recommended vaccine schedule, the senators noted, determines what immunizations are required to be covered by health insurance companies and government programs like Medicaid and Medicare.
"If insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs stop covering vaccines, Americans will be forced to pay out of pocket," the senators said. "The only people who will be able to afford vaccines will be the wealthy."
The senators warned that this, along with Kennedy and his appointees' undermining of vaccine science, would result in "a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases."
Under Kennedy, the U.S. has already experienced its largest measles outbreak in 33 years, which has resulted in the first deaths from the disease in over a decade, following a downswing in measles vaccination.
Despite this, Kennedy has continued to downplay the disease's severity and the vaccine's well-documented effectiveness, even claiming that it causes "deaths every year."
The senators demanded that Kennedy provide information about why each of the nonpartisan members of ACIP were fired, and what criteria and vetting process was used to pick the anti-vaccine figures who replaced them.
"The harm your actions will cause is significant," the senators told Kennedy. "As your new ACIP makes recommendations based on pseudoscience, fewer and fewer Americans will have access to fewer and fewer vaccines. And as you give a platform to conspiracy theorists, and even promote their theories yourself, Americans will continue to lose confidence in whatever vaccines are still available."
"What will come out next about Bove?" said one senator as a confirmation vote loomed. "That's precisely the problem with this disaster of a nominee. And why Senate Republicans are rushing through his nomination."
With the U.S. Senate poised to vote as early as Tuesday on Trump administration official Emil Bove's nomination for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge, a third whistleblower came forward with information about Bove's conduct at the Department of Justice and Democratic senators made their latest push to stop his confirmation.
As The Washington Post reported, a whistleblower shared evidence with lawmakers that Bove, the principal associate deputy attorney general and a former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, misled the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding his role in the DOJ's dismissal of corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
During his confirmation hearing in June, Bove told senators that U.S. District Judge Dale Ho granted the DOJ's motion to dismiss the Adams case because it "reflected a valid exercise of prosecutorial discretion."
He denied the existence of the DOJ deal with Adams to drop the charges in exchange for the mayor's cooperation with Trump's mass deportation agenda, saying that "the suggestion that there was some kind of quid pro quo was just plain false."
The decision to drop the charges led several prosecutors to resign from the DOJ in protest.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee and condemned Republicans' decision to advance Bove's nomination earlier this month, first received evidence from the third whistleblower, according to the Post. Several other Democrats have also reviewed the evidence, which Booker told the outlet was "significant."
"We have substantial information relevant to the truthfulness of the nominee," Booker said on the Senate floor, calling on Republicans on the committee to review the new evidence.
"Another whistleblower has come forward with evidence that raises serious concerns with Emil Bove's misconduct. Senate Republicans will bear full responsibility for the consequences if they rubber stamp Mr. Bove's nomination."
Lawyers for the anonymous whistleblower told the Post on Tuesday that they had turned over the new information provided by the person to the DOJ inspector general.
Booker was joined by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Tuesday in calling on the DOJ's inspector general to promptly open an investigation into Bove in light of the latest whistleblower complaint.
"In the event these whistleblower complaints and other reports have not already prompted investigations by your office, we urge you to undertake a thorough review of these disclosures and allegations," said the lawmakers.
Two other whistleblowers have come forward in recent weeks, alleging Bove told DOJ lawyers to ignore court orders that would impede Trump's mass deportation agenda. Former DOJ attorneys and federal and state judges have urged the Senate to oppose his nomination.
Schiff condemned Republicans on the committee for attempting to dismiss the whistleblowers' complaints.
"What will come out next about Bove?" said Schiff. "That's precisely the problem with this disaster of a nominee. And why Senate Republicans are rushing through his nomination. Before more disqualifying information can come out."
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) emphasized that the fight to stop Bove's confirmation "isn't over, even when subservient Senate Republicans ignore another whistleblower and shove this character through their new-low, hide-the-ball Senate confirmation process and onto the bench."
Republicans can afford to lose only three votes for Bove and still confirm him with a tie-breaker vote from Vice President JD Vance. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) are expected to oppose him.
Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Judiciary Committee's ranking member, said the latest complaint is "another damning indictment of a man who should never be a federal judge."
"Another whistleblower has come forward with evidence that raises serious concerns with Emil Bove's misconduct," said Sorbe. "Senate Republicans will bear full responsibility for the consequences if they rubber stamp Mr. Bove's nomination."