Science is Great, Until it Disagrees with Your Policies

Obama Admin Fired Top Scientist to Advance Climate Change Plans

A new congressional investigation has determined that the Obama administration fired a top scientist and intimidated staff at the Department of Energy in order to further its climate change agenda, according to a new report that alleges the administration ordered top officials to obstruct Congress in order to forward this agenda.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R., Texas), chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, released a wide-ranging reporton Tuesday that shows how senior Obama administration officials retaliated against a leading scientist and plotted ways to block a congressional inquiry surrounding key research into the impact of radiation.

A top DoE scientist who liaised with Congress on the matter was fired by the Obama administration for being too forthright with lawmakers, according to the report, which provides an in-depth look at the White House’s efforts to ensure senior staffers toe the administration’s line.

The report also provides evidence that the Obama administration worked to kill legislation in order to ensure that it could receive full funding for its own hotly contested climate change agenda.

The report additionally discovered efforts by the Obama administration to censor the information given to Congress, interfering with the body’s ability to perform critical oversight work.

From the report:

In late 2015, Dr. Metting and her attorneys contacted the Committee providing an account of events that transpired after the October 16, 2014, briefing, including her removal from federal service by the DOE. According to Dr. Metting’s counsel, DOE Management removed Dr. Metting from her position for allegedly providing too much information in response to questions posed by Congressional staff during the October 16 briefing. Upon learning this disturbing information, the Committee began an investigation into the alleged misconduct of senior DOE officials, focusing on whether DOE Management instructed technical staff to withhold information from Congress. The Committee also became aware in early 2015 (based on the DOE fiscal year 2016 budget request), that the DOE proposed to shutter the LDRRP in order to increase funding for other programs within the Biological and Environmental Research budget line, including bioenergy research and climate modeling in furtherance of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan.

Apparently, Dr. Metting thought that her own LDRRP (Low Dose Radiation Research Program) specialty was important enough to be maintained during the era of global warming concern. The DOE seemed especially concerned the LDRPP was working on fixing and substituting the "linear, no threshold" theory of radiation effects, which would argue for relaxing regulations on low dose radiation.

So much for the vaunted independence of the science and the federal workplace. Donald Trump, through Rick Perry, should put Dr. Metting back in charge of LDRRP, and double it's budget, at the expense of climate "research" and modelling. And if anybody publicly complains, fire 'em for disagreeing with the policy.