Executive Order: Trump Ordered Dramatic Cuts To Expert Science Panels

The Trump admin wants to dramatically cut—by at least 1/3—the expert panels that widely advise federal agencies.

The Trump administration wants to dramatically cut the number of expert panels that widely advise federal agencies on pollution, public health, spending, and planning, according to a White House executive order released late Friday.

There are about 1,000 of these advisory committees — often called "the fifth arm of government" — which act as a reality check on agencies, operating under a 1972 law that makes their deliberations transparent to the public.

For Republicans, there is pride and virtue in being as uninformed or misinformed as possible.  Stupidity is king.  We're living in the movie Idiocracy.

The panels advise on high-profile agency decisions.  These panels are found at nearly 50 agencies and departments, involve about 72,000 volunteer experts.... 

The order....recasts advisory committees at the EPA to include more industry voices and has triggered objections from scientists.  "This order seems to prioritize a reduction in administrative expertise..."

"This kind of wholesale elimination of advisory panels is bad government," said Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists.

Source: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/danvergano/trump-cuts-advisory-panels