Tag Archives: Presidency of George W. Bush

The Union of Concerned Scientists has documented dozens of cases of corporations and politicians preventing government scientists from doing their jobs. This interference and manipulation of science has led to flawed policy decisions that put the public’s health and safety at risk.

www.ucsusa.org

Please help UCS lock in much-needed government reforms that will ensure independent science informs key decisions about our health, safety, air, and water.

www.ucsusa.org

You can help UCS stop special interests from spinning science at the expense of the American people by becoming a member today.

UCS blew the whistle on these widespread attacks on science during the Bush administration. Now, the administration has changed, but the system that allows politics to undermine science largely has not.

Fortunately, government agencies are working right now to develop forceful new policies that can protect scientists from political pressure. UCS is the only organization watchdogging the process and ensuring agencies follow through on their scientific integrity commitments. We’re meeting with agency officials and providing them with resources to ensure policies:

•Protect scientists who report political interference in agency work;

•Prevent conflicts of interest on science advisory committees;

•Allow scientists to share their research and scientific analysis with the public and the press; and

•Increase transparency so the public knows what science agencies consider when making policy decisions.

Please help UCS hold the administration and its agencies accountable for locking in much-needed reforms that will outlast their time in office, keep politics in its place, and allow government scientists to do their jobs. Become a member today.

www.ucsusa.org

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. When you join UCS, you join more than 79,000 UCS members who also believe that decisions about our health, safety, air, and water should fully consider the best available science. Please join us today and help us keep politics out of science.

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You can help stop abuse of science …Kevin Knobloch, Union of Concerned Scientists

05/23/2011 Nativegrl77

Dr. Rosemary Johann-Liang spent seven years working for the government. Her job was to make sure that the prescription drugs we take and give to our families are safe and effective.

Become a member today and help UCS hold the Obama administration and its agencies accountable for protecting science by implementing reforms that will outlast their time in office.

But four years ago, she was reprimanded by her bosses for recommending that the popular diabetes drug Avandia carry a warning label because the drug had been linked to a significant increase in the risk of heart attacks. Her superiors not only failed to act on her recommendation, but they also took away her oversight role in the safety review of the drug. Avandia is made by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline—which, according to a Senate investigation, intimidated physicians and sought ways to downplay findings that a rival drug might reduce cardiovascular risk.

Unfortunately, Dr. Johann-Liang is not alone. Thousands of scientists, across various federal agencies, have told us they fear retaliation for blowing the whistle on political interference in their work.

The Union of Concerned Scientists called attention to widespread attacks on science like this during the Bush administration. Now, the administration has changed, but the system that allows politics to undermine science largely has not.

Please help UCS lock in government reforms to protect scientists and ensure the best available science informs key decisions about our health, safety, and environment—become a member today.

www.ucsusa.org

Federal agencies are working right now to develop stringent new policies to protect scientists from political pressure by special interests. Working with government scientists and other policy experts, UCS has developed resources for agencies to draw upon and is working to ensure these policies:

Protect scientists who report political interference in agency work;

Prevent conflicts of interest on science advisory committees;

Allow scientists to share their research and scientific analysis with the public and the press; and

Increase transparency so the public knows what science agencies consider when making policy decisions.

We need your help to ensure federal agencies adopt strong policies that protect science—now and into the future.

Please become a member today. www.ucsusa.org

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

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Become a member today – UCS …The Union of Concerned Scientists

05/17/2011 Nativegrl77

For years, corporations and politicians have put the public’s health and safety at risk by manipulating government science and censoring scientists in an effort to look after their own best interests.

“The specific suggestions [UCS] has offered have been critical to the overall goal of strengthening science and protecting its integrity, including the use of science by federal agencies”

—Dr. Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Please help UCS lock in much-needed government reforms that will ensure independent science informs key decisions about our health, safety, air, and water.

The Union of Concerned Scientists blew the whistle on these widespread attacks on science during the Bush administration. Now, we’re pressing the Obama administration to ensure they follow through on their stated commitment to restore scientific integrity to government decision making.

As I write this, government agencies responsible for everything from protecting our food and drugs to our air and water are developing groundbreaking new policies to protect their scientists from political pressure by special interests. But will those policies be strong—or full of loopholes?

We need your help to ensure these agencies adopt policies that truly protect science and scientists. Please become a member of UCS today.

UCS is the only organization watchdogging the entire administration to ensure it follows through on their scientific integrity commitments. And we’re providing agencies with resources to help government scientists do their best work and avoid the abuses of science we’ve documented in the past.

But we can’t do it without you. Please become a member of UCS by making a donation today.

If we have your help we can work with agencies to ensure that independent science informs key decisions about the safety of our food and medicines, the levels of toxic chemicals in our children’s toys, the quality of our air and water, and much more.

Please help UCS lock in much-needed reforms that will keep politics in its rightful and proper place and allow government scientists to do their jobs. Become a member today.

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Harmful Bush-era “Conscience” Rule Rescinded

02/22/2011 Nativegrl77

A few years ago, we asked you to imagine this: A woman with cervical cancer is not given information about the option to extract and freeze her eggs before her cancer treatment because her gynecologist has a religiously based opposition to infertility treatment.

You helped us oppose this Bush administration “conscience” rule by sending thousands of comments and emails to the administration. The rule, which was in effect since 2008 encouraged providers to deny access to abortion and contraception, and treatment for infertility, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS in ways the law does not allow.

When President Obama took office he proposed rescinding this harmful rule, and again you responded by sending over 5,000 comments in support of removing this restriction. We are pleased to report that the Obama administration announced late last week that it was rescinding dangerous provisions of this rule. We couldn’t have done it without your help and support!

But the battle over women’s health continues and we need your help now. Please make an urgent donation today to support the Center’s work on women’s health and other issues important to women and their families.

Please make an urgent donation today to support the Center’s work on women’s health and other issues important to women and their families.http://action.nwlc.org/site/R?i=WAE9P7vrbxWLu20UOP3Kew..

The new House leadership has unleashed alarming attacks on women’s health and reproductive rights, and if they have their way, women’s access to health care will be set back decades. The House voted to repeal the new health care law, which is already helping women and families. Now House leadership wants to put into law parts of the regulation which was just rescinded. For example, exempting hospitals from requirements to treat women in need of emergency abortion care, even if they may die without it. They want to raise taxes on potentially millions of individuals and small businesses that keep the insurance plans they currently have if they include coverage of abortion. And on top of it all, this past week they made it clear that they are launching an all-out assault on women’s access to contraception and other family planning services.

For nearly 40 years, the National Women’s Law Center has led the way for women and families — in the classroom, in the workplace and in society as a whole. We’re up against what is already one of the most challenging sessions of Congress in recent history, but with our team of experts and your help we know we can win, no matter how much the other side pushes its dangerous message.

Your generous donation allows us to continue to stand up for women and their families. Please support the Center’s important work today. http://action.nwlc.org/site/R?i=vP-vEw_2yVfPMfAafWcfmQ..

Your generous donation allows us to continue to stand up for women and their families. Please support the Center’s important work today.

On behalf of women and families everywhere, thank you for your generous help.

Sincerely,

Judy Waxman

Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights

National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Learn more about Obama’s decision to rescind this harmful Bush-era regulation in our new fact sheet.

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Tell Congress: Help Jobless Workers Not Millionaires

11/16/2010 Nativegrl77


	Congress: Stand Up for Struggling Women and Families



	Your Members of Congress need to hear that they should extend unemployment benefits and let tax cuts for millionaires expire.

	Call 1-866-606-1189 today!

It’s hard to believe — but Congress is considering cutting taxes for the rich at the same time they discontinue unemployment insurance benefits for the millions of people who are out of work!

The emergency unemployment insurance program expires at the end of November. If Congress fails to extend it, this lifeline will be cut for 2 million workers in December alone. And, because these families won’t have income to spend in their communities to support their families, more jobs will be lost.

Yet, some of the same Members of Congress who are saying that they can’t afford to extend emergency unemployment benefits for another year insist on extending tax breaks for millionaires.

Will you stand up for your neighbor and call your Members of Congress? Calling is easy to do.

Call 1-866-606-1189
Tell the operator who answers the phone the name of your Member of Congress. (Not sure? Look it up here.)
Once you are connected to the office of your Member of Congress, tell the staff person who answers:
- Your name, that you are a constituent from (city, state).
- Stand up for struggling families by extending unemployment benefits for a year and allowing the tax provisions that only benefit the wealthiest two percent of households to expire on schedule.
- Thank you.
Hang up and ask your friends or coworkers to make a call as well. (To reach all three of your Members of Congress, you will have to dial 3 times. Thanks for your support and for making this extra effort.)

The Bush-era tax cuts and recent improvements in tax credits for working families will expire on December 31 unless Congress acts to renew them. Tax breaks for millionaires are also set to expire this year. Congress should extend tax benefits for middle- and lower-income families and not waste $700 billion giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.

We have a limited amount of time to take action. Please take a stand for justice by calling 1-866-606-1189 today.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,