The White House’s inaugural “Make America Healthy Again” report decried industry influence over environmental regulations. President Donald Trump’s scientific integrity order, signed one day later, doesn’t even refer to political interference.
The May 23 executive order spelling out the standards for top-tier science “doesn’t mention the elephant in the room, which is political interference,” said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who recently retired as EPA’s head of its research office after nearly 40 years with the agency.
“In fact, they almost seem to be encouraging it,” she continued.
Absent from the order are any mentions about independence to ensure federal researchers can do their work without political influence. That could be crucial for EPA, where Trump administration officials are planning to dissolve the agency’s only office dedicated to independent research.
