Marburger Responds to Critics
of Administration's Science Policy
April 16, 2004 - Responding to allegations that the
Administration is manipulating science policy, John Marburger,
Ph.D., director of the White House Office of Science and Technology
Policy (OSTP), April 2 issued a statement
that "this Administration is implementing the President's
policy of strongly supporting science and applying the highest
scientific standards in decision making."
Dr. Marburger's statement was in response to a February 18
report from the Union of Concerned Scientists entitled Scientific
Integrity in Policymaking: An Investigation into the Bush
Administration's Misuse of Science. The UCS report states,
"A growing number of scientists, policy makers, and technical
specialists both inside and outside the government allege
that the Bush administration has suppressed or distorted the
scientific analyses of federal agencies to bring these results
in line with administration policy. In addition, these experts
contend that irregularities in the appointment of scientific
advisors and advisory panels are threatening to upset the
legally mandated balance of these bodies."
The report was accompanied by a statement signed by more
than 60 leading scientists, including Nobel laureates, medical
experts, former federal agency directors, and university chairs
and presidents, voicing their concern over "the misuse
of science by the Bush administration."
Offering a point-by-point rebuttal of the UCS report, Dr.
Marburger notes "methodological flaws that undermine
its own conclusions, not the least of which is a failure to
consider publicly available information or to seek and reflect
responses or explanations from responsible government officials."
Noting that he is a lifelong Democrat, Dr. Marburger rejected
the notion of a political "litmus test" for service
on advisory panels as "preposterous."
In an April 13 letter
seeking additional information from Dr. Marburger, Rep. Henry
Waxman (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Government
Reform Committee, said, "In key areas, your explanations
appear to omit relevant facts." Rep. Waxman went on to
observe, "In many other instances, your response contains
assertions that there was no improper injection of political
considerations into scientific analyses of the activities
of science-based agencies, but does not provide substantiation
of the assertions or respond to the specifics of the UCS findings."
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Director
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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