House Passes Pernicious EPA Scientific Advisory Board Bill
(Washington, DC) – Today the House passed H.R. 1422, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, 232-195.
Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said, “H.R. 1422 is a continuation of the Majority’s anti-science agenda. It benefits no one but industry, and it harms public health. The bill before us today “reforms” EPA’s Science Advisory Board not for the better, but for the worse. The supposed intent of H.R. 1422 is to improve the process of selecting advisors to serve on the agency’s advisory Board. But, in reality, H.R. 1422 will allow the Board to be stacked with industry-affiliated representatives while making it more difficult for experts from academia to serve on the Board.”
Ranking Member of the Environment Subcommittee, Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) said, “EPA’s science is tied to its mission: to protect public health and the environment through rational regulation. Scientific research, knowledge, and technical expertise are fundamental to EPA’s mission and inform its regulatory functions. The need for that expertise is why Congress created advisory bodies such as the Science Advisory Board in the first place, to provide independent advice on the science underpinning regulation, which in turn allows the EPA Administrator to make sound regulatory decisions. Instead of undermining the scientific advice EPA receives, we should be giving the agency the tools they need to strengthen and improve their regulatory process with sound science.”
The White House released a Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 1422. In its statement the Administration expresses its strong opposition to the legislation and makes clear that the President’s senior advisors would recommend the President veto the bill if it reached his desk.
To view the letters from organizations expressing concern or opposition to H.R. 1422, click here.
Related Content
Next Article Previous Article