Some of the most influential scientists in the United States have gone public with disquieting accusations that the Bush administration has suppressed and distorted scientific findings, manipulated research and stacked government advisory panels to suit its political objectives. "When scientific knowledge has been found to be in conflict with its political goals, the administration has often manipulated the process through which science enters into its decisions," the Union of Concerned Scientists said last week after releasing the results of its investigation into the alleged abuses.
Politicians often must weigh conflicting scientific claims or inconclusive evidence when setting policy, and they may ignore scientists' recommendations for any number of reasons. But it is quite another matter to interfere blatantly in their work and misuse their results on the scale cited by the scientists' group. Among the examples provided: A report on high mercury levels in women of child-bearing age was delayed; antibiotic research that could have had an adverse effect on major hog producers was squelched; and a committee examining lead poisoning in children was filled with researchers connected to the lead industry.
If the complaining scientists were simply diehard Democrats opposed to the administration's conservative agenda or a few cranks upset by cutbacks in research funding, their claims would be easy to dismiss. But this is a group of more than 60 respected academics, a dozen of whom are Nobel laureates and most of whom rarely speak out on political topics. Their fields of expertise include molecular biology, particle physics, biochemistry, environmental, ecological and climate issues, medicine, nuclear weapons, engineering and agriculture. Not even the White House is disputing their credentials, only their conclusions.
Scientists are right to be concerned when politicians seek to skew or stifle their findings for their own political ends. And it is not just a U.S. problem. Policy-makers and scientists in other countries often turn to American research findings for guidance when looking at health and environmental issues.
The U.S. scientists are calling for a congressional investigation, as well as legislative and regulatory changes to safeguard their research and recommendations from political pressure. That is precisely what should happen, with suitable protection to encourage potential whistle-blowers in the federal agencies where the alleged abuses occurred.