Trump Directs Agencies to Cut Federal Advisory Committees, Action Could Limit Science Informed Decision-making

President Trump signed an Executive Order on June 14, 2019, directing federal agencies to terminate a large number of current federal advisory committees that advise agencies on everything ranging from research priorities to public health, environmental, security, and economic policy. The Executive Order on Evaluating and Improving the Utility of Federal Advisory Committees instructs agencies and departments to “evaluate the need” for each of their current advisory committees, whether established by a congressional statute, by the President, or by the head of the agency under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Based on this evaluation, the Order requires agencies to terminate by September 30, 2019 “at least one-third” of their federal advisory panels established not by law but by agency heads, including panels for which the objectives have been accomplished, the assigned work has become obsolete, and the primary functions have been absorbed by another body. The Order also targets committees where “the cost of operation is excessive in relation to the benefits to the Federal Government.” Agencies can, however, obtain a waiver from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for committees deemed “necessary for the delivery of essential services” or “warranted by the public interest.” Agencies with fewer than three advisory panels are exempt from the target of eliminating one-third of these pan...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news