3.14 Action

Demand that Congress and the Senate Pass the Scientific Integrity Act (10,000 Signature Goal)

The previous administration’s censorship of scientists, appointment of industry insiders to lead key agencies, and failure to fill vacant government science roles left us without the proper infrastructure to address many serious challenges. “Sharpiegate”, the former White House’s interference with CDC’s pandemic reports, and the continuous denial of climate science by high-ranking officials serve as just a few of many glaring examples.

Our country continues to grapple with the worst pandemic in over a century and a mounting climate crisis. Data shows that the American electorate trusts scientists to address the pandemic and other serious challenges we face more than those of other professional backgrounds, which is your signature of support today is crucial:

Can you join us in demanding that Washington lawmakers on both sides of the aisle take swift, immediate action to empower government scientists so we can tackle these challenges head on? Sign on to show your support for the Scientific Integrity Act today.

The Scientific Integrity Act is a sweeping piece of legislation requiring that government scientists have the ability to share their research with the public. This helps ensure government communication of science is accurate and protects science in policy decisions from political interference, ideology, or financial conflicts of interest.

Initially introduced by Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20) in the House and Sen. Brian Schatz (HI) in the Senate, the 2021 bill is also co-sponsored by a number of Democratic members of Congress with a background in STEM, including:

  • Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06)
  • Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06)
  • Rep. Elaine Luria (VA-02)
  • Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08)
  • Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14)
  • Rep. Ami Bera (CA-07)
  • Rep. Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
  • Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01)

The proposed legislation requires any federal agency addressing science to designate a scientific integrity officer, develop a scientific integrity policy that includes a set of minimum standards, provide scientific integrity and ethics trainings, and mandates that federal departments develop a transparent, internal review process for scientific papers.

Previously introduced in both chambers in 2019 and then reintroduced in Congress in 2021, the Scientific Integrity Act has garnered bipartisan support and passed out of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology last summer by a wide margin. You can view the entire text of the current bill here.