GOP House Passes "Scientific Research in the National Interest Act," Further Politicizing Scientific Research

After passage of HR 3293 the Republican Congress has moved one step closer to requiring all grants awarded by the National Science Foundation to meet the vague criteria of "promoting the progress of science in the United States."

[House Democrats] think that the legislation is a way to apply a political litmus test that would allow [Rep. Lamar] Smith and other Republicans to trim research by social scientists and those studying climate change. “The clear intent of the bill is to change how NSF makes funding decisions, according to what some majority members believe should or shouldn’t be funded,” says Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D–TX), the top Democrat on the science panel. Citing several grants that Smith and others have called frivolous or worse, Johnson also worries that the legislation, if passed, will make researchers less likely to propose bold ideas out of fear that their work will be publicly ridiculed.

In a climate where a significant share of Republican political leaders question the validity of scientific consensus based on personal ideology, NSF grant-makers concerned about future appropriations could shift focus away from crucial questions of climate change and public health concerns. 

Source: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/02/us-house-tees-controversial-bill-nsf-research