Government Watchdog to Testify on New Report Supporting Select Subcommittee Findings of Trump Administration Political Interference in Pandemic Response

Washington, D.C. (April 20, 2022) – On Friday, April 29, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. ET, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, chaired by Rep. James E. Clyburn, will hold a remote hearing with the United States Comptroller General and other experts on ensuring scientific integrity at federal public health agencies.  The hearing will examine a new report released today from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finding that career scientists observed incidents of political interference that resulted in the alteration or suppression of scientific findings related to the coronavirus.  These incidents went unreported because scientists were afraid of retaliation or suspected agency leadership was already aware of the interference. 

Chairman Clyburn issued the following statement:  

“Today’s GAO report provides further confirmation of what the Select Subcommittee’s investigations have already made clear:  the previous Administration engaged in a persistent pattern of political interference in the nation’s pandemic response, prioritizing election-year politics over protecting American lives.  The lifesaving work of scientists at our public health agencies must never be corrupted for the perceived political benefit of the president or for any other reason.  The report’s recommendations should be adopted to help ensure that no matter who sits in the Oval Office and no matter what public health emergencies arise in the future, these scientists’ work and the communication of their findings to the American public can proceed without interference.” 

In today’s report, GAO directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop procedures and train staff on reporting and addressing political interference at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).   

Today’s report can be found in full here and outlines the following key findings: 

Numerous Career Scientists Observed Political Interference in Scientific Decision-Making that Resulted in the Alteration or Suppression of Scientific Findings 

• CDC, FDA, and NIH employees told GAO they observed incidents of political interference in the pandemic response.  GAO reported that CDC and FDA employees “believed that this potential political interference may have resulted in the politically motivated alteration of public health guidance or delayed publication of COVID-19-related scientific findings.” 

• This corroborates evidence previously uncovered by the Select Subcommittee showing that the Trump Administration sought to make changes to public health guidance and scientific articles related to the coronavirus for political reasons.  For example, the Select Subcommittee’s investigation found that Trump Administration officials purposefully weakened CDC testing guidance in August 2020 to obscure how rapidly the virus was spreading across the country—contrary to consensus science-based recommendations—and to reduce the amount of testing being conducted.  

Agency Employees Did Not Report Incidents of Political Interference Up the Chain, Including Due to Fear of Retaliation  

• Career scientists from CDC, FDA, and NIH told GAO that they did not report incidents of political interference that they observed to any agency or external officials, because they “feared retaliation,” “thought leadership was already aware,” or were “unsure how to report issues.”   

• The Select Subcommittee previously released evidence that Trump Administration officials attempted to retaliate against officials who provided truthful scientific information to the public.  The Select Subcommittee’s investigations have also revealed numerous examples where senior Trump Administration political appointees at HHS, CDC, and FDA were aware of—and, in some cases, directly participated in—instances of political interference. 

Agency Scientific Integrity Procedures Lack Information on How to Identify, Report, and Address Political Interference, Which May Have Led to Underreporting 

• None of the agencies in GAO’s review have well-defined procedures or training describing how to identify, report, or address political interference in scientific decision-making.  GAO also found that training offered by CDC, FDA, and ASPR “does not address political interference in scientific decision-making at all.”  

• GAO determined that insufficient procedures “may have led to an underreporting” of political interference and “provides less assurance” that agency policies are “protecting against losses of scientific integrity.”  GAO also stated that training employees on how to recognize and report allegations could help agencies maintain their scientific integrity objectives.  

The Biden Administration Has Taken Steps to Ensure Scientific Integrity Is Protected at Public Health Agencies 

• GAO found that “the agencies included in our review have taken some steps toward ensuring scientific integrity and insulating their staff and decision-making from political interference.”  GAO also noted that FDA is planning to develop new procedures for reporting and addressing political interference, while CDC plans to align its scientific integrity trainings with recommendations made by the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Scientific Integrity Task Force established by President Biden.