Last Wednesday, I testified before the US House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight. And it was a productive hearing, not least because there was clear bipartisan agreement on the critical role that a strong scientific workforce for the federal government plays in serving the needs of the American public. Read more >

Zombie Truck Theater: A House Science Committee Hearing
September 12, 2018 2:51 PM EDT
The issue of glider trucks, new truck bodies with old polluting engines, has come up in Congress yet again. This time, it moves over to the House Science Committee, a place where Chairman Lamar Smith tends to hang science (and sometimes scientists) out to dry.

Here are the “Transparency” Policy Documents the EPA Does Not Want You to See
April 21, 2018 11:20 AM EDT
On April 17th, the Union of Concerned Scientists obtained EPA records through three separate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests demonstrating that a proposed Trojan horse “transparency” policy that would restrict the agency’s ability to use the best available science in decision-making is driven by politics, not science. The records also embarrassingly showed EPA officials were more concerned about the release of industry trade secrets than they were about sensitive private medical information.
A Good Move from Chairman Smith and the House Science Committee: Tackling Sexual Harassment in Science
January 22, 2018 3:11 PM EDT
The government may not be operating this week and Congress has been an ongoing part of the many attacks on science in the past year but last week Congress did something good. A bipartisan effort in the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will look at sexual harassment in science and ways to crack down on it. This is big and I’m ecstatic. Read more >

The House Science Committee’s Shameful Climate Sideshow
March 29, 2017 4:02 PM EDT
The committee held a hearing on Wednesday that presented a tired sideshow of climate deniers going through their well-rehearsed paces—the science hearing equivalent of a World Wrestling Entertainment match. Read more >