EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1431, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, of which I am an
original cosponsor.

This bill intends not to deny science, but to deny manipulated science. This is a commonsense, good-government piece of legislation that will discourage ideologically based decisions by the Science Advisory Board and set it back on a path of making objective, science- based conclusions as originally intended by Congress.

Further, this bill would promote accountability within SAB, while also strengthening public participation, ensuring that there is a diverse makeup on its various boards and panels, reinforcing a strong system of peer-review requirements that work toward reducing conflicts of interest, providing ample opportunity for dissenting views by panelists, and, most importantly, requiring conclusions and reasonings be made available to the public.

Mr. Speaker, this is a crucial piece of legislation. The rules and regulations coming out of the Environmental Protection Agency have real-world implications on families in my State of Louisiana and, indeed, across the Nation.

The current system in place allows for the EPA to set forth ideological, biased, and nonscience-based rules and regulations. The standards set forth by this bill promote the use of good science and a strong and open system of transparency and peer review.

I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1431.

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