Sidelining Science Since Day One

The report argues that the Trump administration has systematically eroded the role of science in federal policymaking through the appointment of conflicted officials, the removal of scientific data from government websites, and the rollback of science-based public health and environmental protections. It highlights specific actions, such as the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the delay of methane emission standards, as evidence of a strategy to prioritize industry profits over public safety. The document concludes with recommendations for scientists, Congress, and the media to defend scientific integrity.

• The Trump administration has systematically sidelined independent scientific advice by weakening federal advisory committees and pressuring experts to adhere to political talking points. For instance, the administration declined to reappoint nine members to the EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) and the EPA Chief of Staff attempted to interfere with the Congressional testimony of the BOSC Chair.
• High-level scientific leadership positions have remained vacant, signaling a low priority for science. As of June 6, 2017, the administration had announced nominees for only seven of 46 top science-related positions requiring Senate confirmation, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) science division was left vacant after the departure of three holdover employees.
• The administration has used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to roll back science-based safeguards, including the repeal of the Department of the Interior7s Stream Protection Rule, which required mining companies to monitor stream conditions to prevent birth defects and cancer in nearby communities.
• Climate change safeguards have been specifically targeted, including the announcement of the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the signing of an executive order to review regulations that might burden domestic energy production, which removes obligations for automakers and energy producers to consider climate consequences.
• A hostile environment has been created for federal scientists, characterized by media blackouts, restrictions on using terms like 2climate change2 in communications, and the revival of the Holman Rule by House Republicans, which allows for the slashing of individual federal workers' pay to $1.
• The administration has appointed officials with significant conflicts of interest, such as EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who had previously sued the EPA 13 times and had ties to the fossil fuel industry.

APA

Carter, J., Goldman, G., Reed, G., Hansel, P., Halpern, M., & Rosenberg, A. (2017). Sidelining Science Since Day One. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/sidelining-science-report-ucs-7-20-2017.pdf

Chicago

Carter, Jacob, Gretchen Goldman, Genna Reed, Peter Hansel, Michael Halpern, and Andrew Rosenberg. Sidelining Science Since Day One. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2017. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/sidelining-science-report-ucs-7-20-2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{carter2017sidelining, author = {Carter, Jacob and Goldman, Gretchen and Reed, Genna and Hansel, Peter and Halpern, Michael and Rosenberg, Andrew}, title = {{Sidelining Science Since Day One}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/sidelining-science-report-ucs-7-20-2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }