UCS: Obama needs to protect scientists

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama has not kept a pledge to protect U.S. government scientists from political interference, a scientists' advocacy group said.

The Union of Concerned Scientists said in a statement that John Holdren, Obama's science adviser, has not yet released a plan to restore scientific integrity to government agencies. When Obama appointed Holdren to the post, he gave him a 120-day deadline to develop a plan, the group said.

"When Barack Obama was a presidential candidate, he said stopping political interference in science was a top priority," Francesca Grifo, director of the Union of Concerned Scientists Scientific Integrity Program, said. "While the new administration has been generally supportive of scientific integrity values, it's moving too slowly to establish badly needed reforms."

The administration of former President George W. Bush was frequently accused of political interference with scientists working for the government. UCS said Obama has made some improvements, including opening White House visitor logs.

But Grifo said scientists need a guarantee they will not face retaliation if they share politically sensitive findings with colleagues and the public.

"An accountable government and good policy decisions depend on access to robust and reliable scientific analysis," Grifo said. "Without restoring scientific integrity to federal policymaking, public health and safety are at risk."