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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPresident Obama Lowers The Boom On Republicans By Threatening To Veto Anti-Science Bill
BRAVO!!!
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/05/18/president-obama-veto-republican-anti-science-bill.html
President Obama Lowers The Boom On Republicans By Threatening To Veto Anti-Science Bill
By: Sarah Jones
Monday, May, 18th, 2015, 7:46 pm
President Obama issued a veto threat to yet another Republican attempt to starve and deny science and science-based programs.
If put on his desk as is, the President will veto science-slayer Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)s bill, H.R. 1806, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015, in part because it would set an extremely harmful precedent of political interference in the scientific integrity of the regulation process.
The Republican bill takes partisan aim at things like climate change research at the
Department of Energy, so the reality based community would prefer it if Republicans like Congressman Smith kept his nose out of things he doesnt understand or respect.
From the White House:
The Administration strongly opposes the bills appropriation authorizations for the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) that would establish maximum funding levels significantly below those provided in the Presidents FY 2016 Budget. For example, H.R. 1806 would weaken investments in critical clean energy research and development and grid modernization by providing authorization levels at less than half of the funding levels proposed in the Presidents Budget for DOEs Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. Additionally, the legislation would shortchange efforts to support fundamental research to address diverse and critical global challenges by providing an authorization level for the DOE Office of Science biological and environmental research program far short of the funding levels proposed in the Presidents Budget. The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 would also establish NSF authorizations levels for geosciences, education and human resources, international and integrative activities, and administrative activities well below the funding levels proposed in the Presidents Budget, as well as an NSF authorization for social, behavioral, and economic sciences research that is 58 percent below the Presidents Budget. Additionally, the legislation would undermine efforts to implement sound science and technology policies by providing an authorization level for OSTP nearly 20 percent below the Presidents Budget.
In addition to its strong opposition to the authorized funding levels in H.R. 1806, the Administration has serious concerns with several other provisions in the bill and looks forward to working with the Congress to address its concerns. For example, the Administration opposes barring Federal regulatory authorities from relying on the results of certain Federally-supported research and development. This provision would set an extremely harmful precedent of political interference in the scientific integrity of the regulation process, which would undermine the value of the Federal research and development enterprise as a whole. The Administration also objects to the increased administrative burdens that the bill imposes on NSF and its awardees without commensurate benefit. In addition, the Administration opposes reducing oversight at the DOE National Laboratories, which would increase the exposure of the Federal Government to risk and liabilities while also conflicting with the execution of the DOE mission.
H.R. 1806 undermines key investments in science, technology, and innovation and imposes unnecessary and damaging requirements on Federal support of research. If the President were presented with H.R. 1806, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.
snip//
Republicans are trying to kill science any way they can. On one hand they are busy denying science as a thing, favoring the childish notion of equating the opinion of financially invested parties with the opinion of experts and on the other, they are killing through defunding. Or, as they call it when running for office, sustaining a program by not outright murdering it, which would be bad press.
Republicans prefer to starve programs instead, so that when the program stops working due to lack of funds, Republicans can use that dysfunction to validate their ideology that government is unnecessary. This, of course, is a big win for big business, but a big loss for science and other reality based programs.
Luckily, President Obama is in the White House and can put a stop to this anti-science Republican nonsense.
sheshe2
(83,786 posts)Bravo indeed, bsis.
n2doc
(47,953 posts)I suspect the GOP will be more than happy to just shut down NIH, NSF, and the other 3 letter agencies. So long as they get their Defense and Farm Pork, they are probably happy.
The President has to veto the things they want in order to get leverage.
babylonsister
(171,070 posts)erronis
(15,290 posts)While this may be obvious to most of the smarter readers, the post made such obvious sense.
Just found it - thanks, scuba: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026693381
They want to kill any nationally funded programs that make people's lives better.
Why?
Because they can then say that the government has been doing a shitty job and only their corporate friends can make everything ok.
You want good/safe rail service? Then don't ride on those old Amtrak rails.
You want to get across the country in comfort? Use an executive jet service - bypass those horrible airport terminals.
You want to drive down a nice highway that may have better bridges?
You want a police force that cares about *YOU*, then live in our special community.
You want a foreign policy that is geared towards the moneyed class ---- already done.
You want an armed force that is used for capitalist adventures --- you got it.
Public parks --- collect fees at the gate.
Cha
(297,279 posts)babylonsister
(171,070 posts)Cha
(297,279 posts)Hobo
(757 posts)I think there was a saying: Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is an enemy action. I believe it is the 3rd slam on President Obama
Hobo
Cha
(297,279 posts)there was never any "accident".
You're sweet.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)I'm glad many of us see through that regressive nonsense.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)Second, please vote in Congressional elections so we don't keep getting bills like this anti-science garbage.
They_Live
(3,233 posts)last election there was no Democratic candidate running against him, much to my dismay. His squid-like district squirms through part of Austin way down to San Antonio and has tentacles that stretch out to the west of the I-35 corridor through whatever red spots can be found. He is a putty head Koch Tool. Gerrymandering sucks.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)Yeah, gerrymandering sucks. Keep up the good fight They_Live! I hope things get better in your area and you get a rep who represents us people and not big corporate interests.
benld74
(9,904 posts)Hekate
(90,714 posts)MJJP21
(329 posts)When is the president going to simply address the nation on radio and tv and put out what the right wing is doing and trying to do the country?
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)His weekly radio address is here:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/weekly-address
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)I love saying that.
Thanks for this post.