Joe Biden’s government calls for public help to push science back

(CNN) – They want to boost science again.

At least that’s what the Biden administration says it hopes to achieve by soliciting input from the general public on how best to restore scientific integrity in the federal government. The White House said Friday that it is asking for the public’s help over the next 30 days to bring science to the forefront of its policymaking and ultimately help restore confidence in government – no easy task.

Earlier this year, the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) launched a 46-person Scientific Integrity Task Force to review the federal government’s science policies to ensure they are free from inappropriate political influences, as several senior health officials under former President Donald Trump publicly admitted that they faced political pressure while doing their job amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We need everyone in America to help protect scientific integrity and restore public trust,” said OSTP Deputy Director for Science and Society, Alondra Nelson, in a statement.

“Our public appeal urges Americans across the country to help chart the course of fact-based policymaking for years to come. Together, we can meet our most pressing challenges with science-based solutions. “

“Engaging the public is a good thing, acknowledging that it is a problem is a good thing,” Tim Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), told CNN.

The question remains whether the Biden administration will have the courage to make the necessary changes, which would mean a little less political control over science and separating science from politics, and that has been difficult for both the Democratic and Republican administrations. ».

During President Donald Trump’s four-year rule, he and many of his officials were notably hostile toward science, particularly the science surrounding climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.

Changes during the Donald Trump administration

Among other actions taken in the last four years, the Trump administration made numerous changes to various websites of the Environmental protection agency (EPA). In many cases, the language about climate change was removed from them. At the time, the Trump administration’s EPA said the language was being updated to “reflect the approach of the new leadership.” The changes were later reversed by the Biden EPA.

This comes at a time when many scientists across the country are under attack from the coronavirus vaccine and management, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The White House office says it is examining those occasions when scientific arguments were not followed and identifying ways to ensure greater integrity by adhering to standard practices and increasing transparency in methodology.

Trump often shied away from science during his tenure, including when he promoted a marker pen-rigged hurricane projection map in the Oval Office and once speculated on the benefits of ingesting bleach to combat COVID-19 during a conference call. press.

And grassroots workers also said they felt pressure from political officials to suppress science that did not align with the Trump administration’s priorities.