[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 24, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




STEM CELLS, WOMEN'S HEALTH, WEAPONS, WATER, AGRICULTURE--THE LIST GOES 
                               ON AND ON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 24, 2004

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the 
Congressional Record the attached editorial by the San Jose Mercury 
News dated March 15, 2004 as an extension of my remarks earlier today.

            [From the San Jose Mercury News, Mar. 15, 2004]

     Bush Manipulates Science Data to Pursue His Ideological Goals


STEM CELLS, WOMEN'S HEALTH, WEAPONS, WATER, AGRICULTURE--THE LIST GOES 
                                   ON

       The Bush administration has the manipulation of scientific 
     data down to a science.
       When it comes to imposing his ideology on the work of 
     world-renowned scientists, the president is an equal 
     opportunity meddler. Global warming. Stem cell research. The 
     quality of our drinking water. Health issues (particularly 
     those related to women's health). Nuclear weapons. 
     Agricultural practices. Those are just a few of the areas in 
     which Bush routinely uses politics to cater to big business 
     or the religious right.
       Congress last fall asked the General Accounting Office to 
     investigate. If the GAO's report, due in April, confirms a 
     similar investigation conducted by the Union of Concerned 
     Scientists, Congress should immediately begin holding 
     hearings aimed at ending future presidents' ability to 
     distort and suppress science for political gain. And the 
     scientific community's outrage over the administration's 
     actions should be raised when judging the presidential 
     candidates' credibility.
       Consider the array of scientists and federal officials 
     opposed to the administration's actions. Twenty Nobel 
     laureates. Dozens of prominent scientists who cover the 
     political spectrum. Even a collection of federal officials 
     who served in Republican administrations, including President 
     Nixon's Environmental Protection Agency administrator, 
     William Ruckelshaus. It's also significant that no prominent 
     scientists are surfacing to defend the Bush administration.
       But it's difficult to defend distortions such as the 
     National Cancer Institute's suggestion on its Web site that 
     there is a link between abortion and breast cancer. The 
     Institute posted that information despite the objections of 
     Centers for Disease Control staff. Numerous examples of 
     suppression or distortion of scientific data are contained in 
     the Union of Concerned Scientists' report.
       Bush has been quoted as saying, ``Science and technology 
     have never been more essential to the defense of the nation 
     and the health of our economy.''
       Too bad his actions don't live up to his words.

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