I am writing to express my strong opposition to Section 552 of the House Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill, which would prevent American taxpayers from immediately accessing the results of the more than $90 billion in scientific research that the US government funds each year. I urge you to remove this language from the final bill.
As a tax payer, access to credible scientific research is essential to my ability to be an informed citizen which is a right and necessity. For example, during the height of pandemic, I relied on articles about COVID and COVID vaccines to make informed decisions for the health of my family and loved ones.
Immediate access to this research will advance discovery, spur the economy, and accelerate innovation across the state and our nation, helping to address our shared priorities. The result will be faster progress toward curing diseases, preventing pandemics, mitigating the impacts of natural disasters, and improving public wellbeing.
I hope you will remove any appropriations language that bars implementation of this important Office of Science & Technology Policy guidance that guarantees taxpayers immediate access to the results of research they fund.
