Congressman Eric Burlison has written a letter to top officials in Washington D.C. expressing concern about a reference guide regarding climate science produced by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine or NASEM.
In the letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, Burlison questions whether NASEM should continue to receive federal funding. He said he’s concerned about "the use of taxpayer funds for wasteful and improper purposes that appear inconsistent with Trump Administration policy."
The reference guide is meant to help judges evaluate the admissibility and weight of expert testimony and documentary evidence involving climate science. It's one of many sections in the Reference Manual for Scientific Evidence produced by NASEM with input and oversight from and by many top scientists and judges from across the country.
The Reference Guide on Climate Science lays out the science behind human-caused climate change.
Burlison states in his letter that "much like many of our 'elite' institutions, the National Academies has sadly been the victim of ideological capture, driven by a woke, partisan, and special interest-driven agenda that puts the Left’s preferred narratives ahead of the facts."
According to Burlison’s Congressional office, the congressman led 10 House colleagues in sending the letter. They want an investigation into federal funding awarded to NASEM.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine was established by an Act of Congress in 1863 and signed by President Abraham Lincoln. It’s a private, nongovernmental institution that advises the government on issues related to science and technology.
On its website NASEM describes itself as "Driving progress for the benefit of society by providing independent, objective advice to advance science, engineering, and medicine."
