{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://himes.house.gov/press-releases?ID=07966BE3-2808-42D4-B025-FEC2FC50F89F", "Himes leads letter requesting qualified Science Advisor", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "James A. Himes", "H001047", "himes.house.gov", "himes", "https://himes.house.gov/press-releases", "page_html", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014Today, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04), along with nine other Members of Congress, sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump asking him to quickly appoint a qualified Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, usually known as the President\u2019s Science Advisor.\n\n\u201cThere is a fear and concern among the American people that the incoming Administration is going to disregard the advice and recommendations of the scientific community,\u201d said Himes. \u201cAmerica\u2019s strength has always stemmed from our ingenuity and commitment to fact-based decision making. We now face a situation where decisions that will affect the future of our country \u2013 in areas including climate change, national security, exploration, health and the economy \u2013 could be made by individuals who are not just lacking a scientific background, but are, in fact, aggressively anti-science. A qualified Science Advisor would be a key component in mitigating any ideologically-driven, destructive decisions.\u201d\n\n\u201cA highly respected science advisor and an Office of Science and Technology Policy fully engaged in evidence-based policy decisions are essential to good government and protecting the health and safety of the American people,\u201d added Dr. Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.\n\nThe Science Advisor\u2019s role in the White House since 1976 has been to guide the President determining effective ways to use science and technology to address major national challenges.\n\nJoining Congressman Himes on the letter were Representatives Ra\u00fal Grijalva, Adam Schiff, Tim Ryan, Bill Foster, Betty McCollum, Jerry McNerney, Rick Larsen, Elizabeth Esty and David Cicilline.\n\nThe full letter is attached and below.\n\nDecember 22, 2016\n\nMr. Donald J. Trump\n\nPresident-Elect\n\nTrump Tower\n\n725 Fifth Avenue\n\nNew York, New York 10022\n\nDear Mr. President-Elect:\n\nAs members of Congress who understand the importance of science to our economic strength, national security and efficient government, we write to respectfully request that you prioritize the appointment of a universally-respected scientist as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology within your first 100 days in office.\n\nWhen you take office in January, you will be charged with leading our nation\u2019s response to global climate change, maintaining American economic competitiveness, keeping our citizenry safe, advancing energy independence, and curing disease. It is critical that you inform your decisions on these matters with scientific knowledge and expertise.\n\nIn 1976, Congress established the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to facilitate scientifically-sound policy decisions by the Executive Branch. The Assistant to the President for Science and Technology \u2013 known colloquially as the President\u2019s Science Advisor \u2013 is responsible for leading this office. As a senior-level White House staff member, your science advisor\u2019s responsibilities will be to assist you in determining effective ways to use science and technology to address major national challenges. More broadly, the OSTP he or she will oversee will provide scientific and technological input to agencies regarding rulemakings, budgets, interagency coordination, and other matters of consequence.\n\nWe must also remember that federal investments in scientific and technological research have emboldened our nation\u2019s entrepreneurial spirit and driven innovation for decades. Federal grants have enabled generations of scientists to make discoveries and breakthroughs that have helped the United States ascend to the top of the global economy, including life-saving vaccines, the MRI, laser technology, touchscreens, and GPS. To continue our path forward, we must recognize that scientific research is a force for good and merits our attention and investment.\n\nIn conclusion, we agree with our predecessors in the 94th Congress regarding the role of science in our government. We believe that it is imperative for you to choose, early in your administration, a nationally-respected individual with the appropriate engineering, scientific, management and policy skills.\n\nThank you for your consideration.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-03-30T11:08:25Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://himes.house.gov/press-releases?ID=07966BE3-2808-42D4-B025-FEC2FC50F89F"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.305967103689909, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}