The White House Office of Science and Technology announces a new task force to investigate the Trump administration’s interference in scientific decisions and review policies that should have prevented political influence.
The investigation is not intended to punish or otherwise hold former officials accountable for any events of the last four years. Previously unknown instances of political tampering may be revealed, but the goal is to make sure similar interference won’t happen again.
A similar review was already launched at the Environmental Protection Agency, where the Trump administration changed rules to allow heavy pesticide exposure on farmworkers. This and other policy changes were made in the final months of Trump’s presidency.
Former President Donald J. Trump’s disregard for science was regularly on display in his various efforts to belittle masks, dismiss the need for social distancing and declare cold snaps to be evidence against global warming. Behind the scenes, federal scientists said Mr. Trump and his top political officials also routinely sidelined researchers who worked on issues the administration disliked, like climate change; disregarded studies that identified serious health risks from certain chemicals; and meddled in scientific decision making, particularly around the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The New York Times
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Photo: Adam Schultz / Public Domain
