[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 61 (Monday, April 16, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E473-E474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE SECOND ANNUAL MARCH FOR SCIENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 16, 2018

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in 
recognition of the second annual March for Science which took place 
this past weekend on Saturday, April 14, 2018, in Washington and at 
locations across the globe. I want to voice my strong support for it. 
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.

[[Page E474]]

  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.
  Mr. Speaker, 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 toll 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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