COMMENTARY

COMMENTARY | GOP Takes Aim at Scientific Integrity

Kyla Bennett

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This commentary was originally published in the Winter 2025 edition of PEEReview.

The bipartisan consensus in support of federal scientific integrity policies is imploding, as evidenced by a flurry of fiery letters from House Oversight Chair James Comer to federal agencies. In these letters, Comer claims scientific integrity policies enable “career bureaucrats who favor one set of scientific viewpoints to undermine politically accountable agency leaders who seek to base agency actions on differing science.”

Laying the Groundwork for Future Attacks

“Through these letters, Comer is signaling that he is out to destroy the procedures that aim to ensure science is conducted and communicated in an objective and accurate way,” says Dr. Kyla Bennett, PEER’s Director of Science Policy. “He is also signaling that they will go after the individuals involved in developing and implementing these policies and those that have used these procedures to file complaints.”

In one letter, Comer asks the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for all their records on the development of a scientific integrity committee and the status of investigations of scientific integrity complaints filed with EPA. They also asked for all Standard Form 50 (SF 50) Notifications of Personnel Action and related personnel records of proposed or nominated members of the committee, including but not limited to the agency’s designated scientific integrity official. These SF-50 forms not only include employees’ positions and grades, but personal information such as their date of birth and social security numbers.

In another letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Comer and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene take aim at the Biden administration’s negotiation of contracts with labor unions, which they decry as “ceding presidential authority to run the federal government to union allies.”

One example they cite is a collective bargaining agreement between EPA and the American Federation of Government Employees. That agreement, which PEER supported:

  • Allows scientists freedom to openly discuss their scientific work with the press and at scientific conferences;
  • Requires management to provide a written explanation for denying “attendance at scientific conferences/meetings during duty time;” and
  • Provides that any future Scientific Integrity Policy “will be subject to negotiation as required by law, regulation, and this Agreement.”

Comer and Greene also ask for an extraordinary list of additional documents from OPM and other agencies, including all those related to labor union negotiations and all grievances filed since President Biden took office.

“We are concerned not just that they will eviscerate scientific integrity policies and procedures, but that they are preparing a list of people to target for the new incoming administration – people that worked on these policies or may have used these policies to make confidential complaints,” adds Bennett.

PEER’s Criticism of Scientific Integrity Policies

The Biden administration undertook a government-wide effort to strengthen scientific integrity policies after they proved ineffective in stopping the Trump administration’s interference in science. Some of our concerns with these policies is that they:

  • Do not specify penalties for political appointee violators;
  • Lack transparency, providing the public with only an annual after-the-fact “anonymized” summary of actions taken; and
  • In some cases, expand bans against scientists “making or publishing statements that could be construed as being judgments of, or recommendations on” any federal policy.

Looking Ahead

PEER will be carefully tracking these issues and will be available to discuss options for employees who encounter scientific integrity issues that affect the environment, natural resources, and public health during the Trump administration.


Kyla Bennett is PEER’s Director of Science Policy and the Director of PEER’s New England/Mid-Atlantic field office. She is a scientist and attorney formerly with U.S. EPA.

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