Henry Waxman, as ranking Dem on the House Govt Reform Committee focused a great deal of attention on how the Bush admin manipulated the scientific process and distorted or suppressed scientific findings. A 2003 report identifies over twenty scientific issues affected by the undermining of science, including: :
• Abstinence education, where performance measures were changed to make unproven “abstinence-only” programs appear effective;
• Condom use, where information about condom use and efficacy was deleted from CDC’s web site;
• Global warming, where reports by the Environmental Protection Agency on the risks of climate change were suppressed;
• Missile defense, where Defense Department officials presented misleading information on whether a functional system could be quickly deployed;
and
• Wetlands policy, where comments from scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Service on the destructive impacts of proposed regulatory changes were
withheld.
Other affected topics include HIV/AIDS, agricultural pollution, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, environmental health, lead poisoning, oil and gas exploration, prescription drug advertising, stem cells, substance abuse, drinking water, women’s health, workplace safety, and Yellowstone National Park.
Across this wide range of issues, the report identifies the three principal ways in which the Bush Administration has pursued its agenda: by manipulating scientific advisory committees, by distorting and suppressing scientific information, and by interfering with scientific research and analysis.
The 2003 report is here and more recent news of how the Bush administration treats government scientists and scientific findings is here.
Unfortunately Waxman was blocked repeatedly by the Repub majority on the Govt Reform Committee from conducting any serious or credible hearings on any of these findings.
BUT, that will change in 2007 and we can expect the Bush administration to called before the Committee to explain their past actions and current policies.