Congressman Baird on science
Brian Baird, a Democratic congressman from southwestern Washington state, gave a remarkable statement on how the current US administration is tampering with federal scientific efforts. I don't see this anywhere on the Web yet, so here it is in its entirety (thanks to Barbara Perry for passing this along):
[update] - I found this statement on the web - it's at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r108:47:./temp/~r108qNo3x2::
Now there's a friendly url.
THE ESSENCE OF SCIENCE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about a matter that
should be important to us all, regardless of political persuasion, and
that is, the matter of scientific integrity, which I believe is under
profound and dangerous attack under this administration and
unfortunately under this Congress.
The great Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman once observed
that as scientists we have ``a lot of experience with ignorance, doubt
and uncertainty. We have found it of paramount importance'' he wrote
``that in order to progress we must recognize our ignorance and leave
room for doubt. Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying
degrees of certainty, some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none
absolutely certain.''
Feynman saw this familiarity with uncertainty, with doubt as an
important strength, indeed a responsibility that scientists can offer
to the society as a whole. He went on to say, ``If we suppress all
discussion, all criticism, proclaiming `This is the answer, my friends;
man is saved!' we will'' in the process ``doom humanity for a long time
to the chains of authority, confined to the limits of our present
imagination.'' Feynman asserted, ``It has been done so many times
before.''
Feynman was right. It has been done so many times before; and I
believe if he were with us today, he would say it is being done yet
again. In countless subtle and not-so-subtle ways, this administration
and the majorities in the House and the Senate are deliberately and
systematically suppressing discussion and criticism and distorting the
scientific process. The modalities of
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these discussions, or distortions, are manifold; and collectively, they
constitute nothing less than a coordinated attack on virtually every
stage and every aspect of the science/policy interaction.
Evidence of this attack comes from many sources, including a GAO
study which I am holding up here, which I requested along with my
ranking member on the Committee on Science, the gentlewoman from Texas
(Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson). Interestingly and perhaps tellingly, we
had asked that a full committee hearing be conducted to study this
matter; but we were denied that privilege, leaving us to hold a
somewhat symbolic hearing of our own.
Nevertheless, based on testimony from that hearing and numerous other
sources, it is apparent to me and others that the assaults on
scientific independence and integrity includes all of the following:
limitations of the questions that are allowed to be asked; constraints
on the methods that are used to seek answers to questions; limits or
elimination of funding and resources to pursue certain questions that
are not politically correct; biased selections of people who will be
allowed to ask questions or serve on scientific panels; active and
intentional suppression of findings that are not to official liking;
unjustified claims and inflation of studies or results that are
approved of by the administration; punishment or ridicule of scientists
who disagree with official administration dogma; retribution for
political involvement on the part of scientists; disregard of
discomfiting scientific evidence; placement of nongovernmental
ideologues in charge of international missions to supervise U.S.
positions, vis-a-vis, scientific discussion; and creation of a climate
in which scientists and policy-makers have begun actually to self-
censor or self-select and actually leave government service.
Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to his nephew: ``Question with
boldness even the existence of a God because, if there be one, He must
more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.''
Clearly, at least in his private letters, Jefferson was not one to
believe in limiting questions, and indeed, if one visits Monticello and
sees his love for science, one realizes how important that was to him.
When one considers that Benjamin Franklin was considered one of the
greatest scientists of his age and that Madison, Jefferson, and
Washington and many of the Founders had a profound interest in science,
we realize the importance of that principle to the founding principles
of this Nation.
But we must contrast that attitude of the Framers with an
administration that removes from a National Cancer Institute Web site
fact sheets showing there is no empirical evidence linking abortion to
breast cancer. Contrast that attitude of scientific inquiry with
suppressing analyses of clean air legislation that will save lives and
cut pollution at negligible cost. Contrast the Framers' attitude with
initiatives in Congress to cut funding for research relating to
sexually transmitted disease prevention. Contrast that attitude with
limits to stem cell research. Contrast that attitude of the Framers
with the selective appointment or withdrawal of experts on scientific
advisory panels. Contrast that attitude with the willful stacking of
advisory committees and removal of any voices deemed unfriendly to a
predetermined outcome.
Within the scientific community, the effect of the administration's
and congressional actions have been chilling and demoralizing.
Researchers are practicing self-censorship or leaving government
careers entirely.
Let me conclude, if I may, with one final comment of Richard Feynman.
He said, ``It is our responsibility as scientists, knowing the great
process which comes from a satisfactory philosophy of ignorance,
knowing of the great progress which is the fruit of freedom of thought,
to proclaim the value of this freedom; to teach how doubt is not to be
feared but welcomed and discussed; and to demand this freedom as our
duty to all coming generations.''
We must do that not only as scientists but as Representatives.
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