Ranking Member Johnson Statement on March for Science
(Washington, DC) – Today is the second annual March for Science taking place in over 200 cities across around the world.
Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) issued the following statement:
While it is somewhat disheartening that there is a need for this march, I am proud to see the public celebrating the role science plays in our daily lives, supporting the future of evidence-based science, and promoting it as the foundation of our policies.
Over the past year, we have seen a troubling increase in anti-science attitudes by some in government. We have also seen assaults on policies underpinned by widely supported and verified scientific findings. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy remains leaderless. Polarizing individuals have been nominated for key science agencies, breaking with the tradition of nominees who can garner bipartisan support. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency is being dismantled from within and restructured to cater to the needs of industry rather than the American public, and the role of science has been severely undercut.
This assault on science has done great harm to policy makers’ ability to develop appropriate and sustainable solutions to our Nation’s challenges. Our research and development enterprise plays a crucial role in protecting the public’s health and our nation’s environment, expanding our knowledge of the universe, and inspiring a diverse new generation of scientists.
It’s time to restore the public trust and ensure the integrity of science in the policymaking process. I want to thank all of those who continue to stand up in support of the tole science can and should play in addressing the serious issues facing our Nation, and I want to extend our best wishes to all the marchers.
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