Honesty, truth and integrity. As people of faith, we hold these ideals close to our hearts. But the Bush Administration is not pursuing these principles in regards to science. Did you know that scientists – the very people who base their studies around facts and numbers – are being pressured to conceal or alter their findings? As one of the leading nations in scientific discovery, we expect that our government will encourage fact-finding. But once the data gets into the hands of government agencies, it is being skewed to fit a political agenda.

Science and the free distribution of ideas is essential to our well-being. Giving people false information about the environment, health care and global warming is as bad as giving people wrong information.

If scientists are forced into altering their findings, or prohibited from releasing their research because of political pressure, valuable knowledge that could save lives may be at risk.

Examples of Abuses
Manipulation of information can be found in a variety of scientific fields. Listed below are just a few examples of cases involving sexual issues and sexual health where political and ideological views trumped scientific integrity in regards to sexual health. (Source: Union of Concerned Scientists)

Emergency Contraception: FDA appointees overruled staff scientists and two independent advisory panels to deny over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception. Eventually, women 18 and over are able to obtain the medication.
Abstinence-only Education: The Administration has obscured scientific evaluation of abstinence-only education programs and provided federal funding to unproven programs, some of which provide inaccurate information about contraception.
HIV/AIDS Education: The federal Centers for Disease Control was ordered to put inaccurate information on its website about the effectiveness of condoms in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Breast Cancer: Information suggesting a link between abortion and breast cancer was posted on a National Cancer Institute website despite objections from staff scientists.

The Integrity of Science Working Group, of which the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is a member, has encouraged the President and Congress to adopt the following core values in science:

· Ensure that scientific and health information and reports provided by the government are based on full and informed assessments of all relevant data, done in an independent manner, free of financial conflicts of interest.
· Ensure that scientists are not pressured to delay, suppress, or alter scientific or medical information that may be in conflict with the government's political position and are not penalized if they resist such pressure.
· Ensure that the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) is fully enforced, to make certain that scientific advisory committees are able to provide the highest quality independent scientific advice to the government, without political or ideological bias. Ensure that people who do not have adequate scientific qualifications are not appointed to scientific advisory positions.
· Safeguard against subjecting scientists to ideological or political litmus tests for advisory committees and civil service positions.
· Ensure that the President and Congress get scientific advice as early as possible in the decision-making process, and that this is done in a transparent fashion.
· Ensure that the lack of complete certainty or irrefutable proof does not erode time-honored precautionary approaches to public health and environmental protections.

The suppression and distortion of scientific information erodes credibility and public trust in government, and may compromise the health and safety of Americans.

January 10, 2006