Opinion: Bush's little interest in science

The Bush administration hasn't been in a hurry to fill key science posts in the government. In fact, neither the White House nor the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has shown much interest in science as they make difficult policy decisions on 21st century issues. When Republicans seized control of the House six years ago, one of their first targets was the Office of Technology Assessment, the science and technology research arm of Congress that is no more.

According to news reports, Bush plans to nominate physicist John H. Marburger III as his presidential science adviser. But he still hasn't appointed anyone to lead the Food and Drug Administration or the National Institutes of Health. The Environmental Protection Agency has no head of science, nor do the departments of Energy and Agriculture. Some of the administration's early missteps involved issues such as climate, toxic chemicals and oil drilling in environmentally fragile areas.

Bush recently opted to send representatives from right-to-life groups to an international health assembly rather than a traditional delegation of medical experts and researchers. And as he deliberates on whether federal funding should support stem-cell research, the president seems more interested in the views of religious leaders than in what medical researchers have to say.

Looking at the president's proposed budget tells a similar tale. There are decreases in research money for the departments of Energy, Interior, Agriculture and the EPA. Bush's science adviser in the Texas governor's office, Dr. Marye Anne Fox, declined to take the national post after an interview in which she concluded she would be little more than window dressing. Since taking a post as chancellor of North Carolina State University, she has written that the funding cuts threaten to shift the nation's competitive research advantages and edge in innovation overseas. The administration says the overall budget for research is up 6 percent, but critics say that figure ignores inflation and promotes health and defense research at the expense of other areas.

Funding research is vital, but the president and lawmakers also need to show a greater respect for science and welcome the knowledge base it provides them for making far-reaching decisions. It took a while, but at least the president now accepts the science of global warming.

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright