The Trump Administration (ppppptah!) has ordered several federal agencies to stop sharing their taxpayer-funded information with the taxpayers.
Though the majority of President Donald Trump’s controversial cabinet nominations have not yet been confirmed, his so-called “beachhead” teams have arrived at their respective agencies, carrying out orders that make clear that the “War on Science” has begun.
On Tuesday, BuzzFeed broke the news that scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are no longer allowed to share information about taxpayer-funded research with the public.
In an email sent Monday and obtained by the news outlet, Sharon Drumm, chief of staff for the USDA’s primary in-house research arm, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), told the department: “Starting immediately and until further notice, ARS will not release any public-facing documents…This includes, but is not limited to, news releases, photos, fact sheets, news feeds, and social media content.”
This blackout also goes for the EPA, HHS and the National Institute of Health.
In a press statement, Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at UCS, condemned the moves, describing the as “equally short-sighted and destructive.”
“These actions don’t just threaten scientists—they threaten everyone in the country who breathes air, drinks water, and eats food,” said Rosenberg. “These agency scientists carry out research in support of policies that protect our health and safety and help farmers, and it makes no sense to put up walls between them and the public, or unilaterally halt the work they do.”
“That the administration has moved so quickly to clamp down on scientists shows that the Trump administration is more focused on lifting rules on polluters than keeping our air and water clean,” he added.
This blackout will no doubt give the flat-Earthers in the Trump Administration (ppppptah!) an opportunity to memory-hole proven science and replace it with “alternative facts.”
The WAR ON SCIENCE has begun.
Heil Drumpf!