Politics and science do not mix well

The Center for American Progress held a discussion on “Science is the Stuff of Progress” to celebrate the release of a print version of its online magazine, Science Progress. Neal Lane, former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Clinton, said that the success of scientific research depends on a forward-looking political agenda and that the expansion of Science Progress will help encourage more funding to research.

Lane said that science and innovation are what America was built upon. He added that the government’s support of research and science must be restored with integrity so that science is not used to satisfy partisan desires. He said that policy must be based on the best science, rather than warped by politicization. He added that funding for high-risk research, especially on stem cells, is necessary.

Kit Batten, the managing director of energy and environmental policy at the Center for American Policy, said that the Bush administration has politicized science, inhibiting necessary progress. Andrew Baden, professor and chairman of the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland said that U.S. infrastructure is in decay. He said that public universities have obsolete labs.