The first weeks of the Trump administration saw a wave of large -scale executive decrees and other actions that threaten, among other things, the ability of federal agencies to pursue science and share this science with the public. These dangerous circumstances and in certain circumstances, potentially unconstitutional Actions require a response from the congress. Such a response that could protect science was made to the congress this week: the scientific integrity Act.
What is this?
Scientific integrity means This science is transparent, independent, reliable and without political interference. This means that scientists can share their work during conferences, meetings, communities and with the public as a whole. This also means that the scientific evidence used to develop policies reflect the real world and can be used for the public interest. Office of Sciences, Technology and Policy of the White House of the Biden Administration defined This is how:
“”Scientific integrity is adherence to professional practices, ethical behavior and the principles of honesty and objectivity during conduct, management, use of results and communication of sciences and scientific activities. Inclusion, transparency and protection against inappropriate influence are the characteristics of scientific integrity.“”
What would the law on scientific integrity do?
The Scientific Integrity Act (if Act) is A bipartite invoice Reintroduced on February 6 in the House of Representatives of the United States. If it is adopted, the IS law would provide railing around science and scientists, demanding federal agencies that finance, put or oversee scientific research to establish and maintain clear and enforceable scientific integrity policies. This bill would help to guarantee that the development of policies is based on the best available sciences and would keep scientific research, carried out on behalf of the public, free from political interference. The threat of political interference is obvious: during the first week of the new administration, travel, meetings, new hires and the dissemination of results were all interrupted at the Ministry of Health and Social Services. In addition, the termination of old decrees and the addition of new ones were justified by false statements and lies on climate change And environmental justice Programs, which are based on robust scientific evidence.
The law if it would oblige each federal agency to develop a policy of scientific integrity and to form its staff on scientific integrity. These IS policies would include a language prohibiting scientific or research fault; Prevent intimidation or attempted coercion to modify or censor scientific or technical results; and allow public dissemination of scientific and technical results. It would guarantee that federal scientists could publish results, sit scientific councils or manage boards of directors, join or lead scientific organizations and other professional organizations, and contribute to peer exam as Revisers or publishers. It would guarantee that scientific conclusions are not made on the basis of political considerations but on the basis of the Best science available. Federal agencies should also have scientific integrity agents who have the expertise to implement these policies.
Other requirements include protections for scientists and experts against dismissal with political motivation, that agencies develop appropriate rules and procedures to ensure the integrity of the scientific process and a requirement that scientists adhere to ethical and professional standards highest research and dissemination. The purpose of the Act respecting the IS is to ensure that guarantees are in place so that the science which is considered in political decisions is the result of well -established scientific processes, and not of political mandates from above.
Scientific integrity policies in the previous administration
After many years of work, the Bureau of Sciences, Technology and Policy of the White House of the Biden Administration has developed Scientific integrity Deduce what scientific integrity is and provide advice around its implementation. The Biden administration has implemented additional actions in the trajectory to provide railings around the science of the federal government, in particular a Scientific integrity policy model And a decree forcing federal agencies to develop policies of scientific integrity. Consequently, many federal agencies have developed policies of scientific integrity and awarded scientific integrity agents, although Progress was slow in many agencies. However, executive decrees, advice and policies of a white house are easily reversed with incoming administration, as we have seen chaotic opening days of the Trump administration. This is why this bipartite law, if adopted, is so important. It would become longer -term protection of reliable and transparent science free from politicization, coercion and manipulation.
Scientific integrity policies are attacked
Over 300 Science attacks took place in the last four presidential administrations. During the Bush administration, there were 98 Science attacksThe administration of Obama had 19, in the first Trump administration, there were 207, and during the Biden administration, there were 2 attacks. The law if the railing around federal sciences would decrease the potential of these attacks, particularly important in the current administration.
We would not think that these guarantees on the scientific process would be controversial, but in fact this bipartite effort is under attack by President Trump’s allies. The chairman of the chamber’s supervisory committee, representative James Comer, has launched an official investigation into the federal agency and scientific work policies. This effort is itself a pure attack against scienceintended to intimidate federal scientists, and More than 50,000 scientists have publicly supported scientific integrity policies in a open petition at the Congress.
Scientific integrity policies support public health, equity and justice
UCS followed Science attacksand those of the last Trump administration ran the whole range Sapped studies on dangerous pesticides, for refuse to adopt food directivesTo interfere with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19.. These manipulations and the coercion of scientific results and related actions have not simply violated the principles of scientific integrity: they hurt people.
We expect to see Even more attacks on science and future scientists.
What you can do
If you, like me, worry about what Trump administration could do to science and guarantees and policies that depend on science, it is time to mobilize. Exhorts the congress to adopt the bipartite law of scientific integrity by using This rapid action link.
And contact your members from American Room of Representatives And US Senate To let them know that you support the federal and independent federal sciences and will not defend efforts to attack it.