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April 24, 2018

Ranking Member Johnson’s Statement on Administrator Pruitt’s “Secret Science” Order

(Washington, DC) – Today, Administrator Scott Pruitt held a “special event” to announce a proposed rule that would allow EPA in its rulemaking to only consider studies for which the underlying data are made available publicly. This rule is based on legislation introduced by Chairman Lamar Smith, but never adopted by Congress.

Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson’s (D-TX) statement on the proposed rule is below.

“We on the Science Committee Minority have been fighting against the dangerous and untrue notion that the EPA uses ‘secret science’ for years now. The push to allow EPA to only consider publicly available data in its rulemaking, is an insidious plan designed from the outset to prevent the EPA from using the best available science to meet its obligations under the law. This proposed rule is constructed to hamstring the ability of the EPA to do just about anything to protect public health. Republicans weren’t able to get their ‘secret science’ bills signed into law, but now they have Administrator Pruitt to do the bidding of industry at the EPA. This rule isn’t about ‘scientific transparency.’  It’s about undermining public health and the environment.”