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Science and Technology for America's Progress Ensuring the Best Presidential Appointments in the New Administration (2008) / Chapter Skim
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Science and Technology Appointments to Federal Advisory Committees
Pages 33-42

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From page 33...
... Federal advisory committees sometimes address a perennial issue facing an agency, such as review of grant proposals or new drug applications, or focus on a specific issue or particular scientific or technical problem facing the agency or the nation. In addition, 33
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From page 34...
... Scientists, engineers, and health professionals recognize the need to serve pro bono on federal advisory committees that help to shape S&T policy. Such service provides the best scientific and technical information to policy makers and serves the S&T enter prise itself.
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From page 35...
... Department of the Interior EPA = Environmental Protection Agency HRSA = Health Resources and Services Administration NIH = National Institutes of Health (NIH) which is within DHHS NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NRC = U.S.
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From page 36...
... and that there be some assurance "that the advice and recommendations of the advisory committee will not be inappropriately influenced by the appointing authority or by any special interest, but will instead be the result of the advisory committee's independent judgment."3 S&T issues sometimes generate separate ethical and soci etal questions that may require regulation or policy solutions, and many critical policy choices in national security, the environment, the economy, agriculture, energy, and health depend on a deep understanding of S&T. Many factors -- including societal values, economic costs, and political judgments -- come together with technical judgments in the process of reaching advisory commit tee recommendations.
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From page 37...
... In addition, regardless of a person's employment status, there are a number of statutory provisions that specifically prohibit the consideration of political affiliation when selecting members for certain designated federal advisory committees. For example, GAO noted that political affiliation may not be considered when appointing people to an advisory committee established under the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
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From page 38...
... According to the GAO, access to information about specific committees in the GSA performance database is too limited across the board.5 Furthermore, GAO found that only 25 percent of com mittees had a Web site and only 60 percent of federal agencies had Web sites where information about their advisory committees is posted. The practice of open nominations varies across agencies and even within agencies.
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From page 39...
... They must disclose financial conflicts of interest and are subject to severe criminal penalties for advising the government on matters in which they, their family members, their companies, or their institutions are found to have a particular interest. A fourth category of people serving on federal advisory committees is "consultant." Consultants serve for only one committee meeting under agency conflict-of-interest rules or possibly several committee meetings under OGE conflict-of-interest rules when designated as SGEs.
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From page 40...
... Poten tial committee members should be made aware of the disclosure requirements tied to committee service, understand why disclosure of such information is important to public trust in the process, and expect consistent and less confusing procedural requirements than are currently prevalent. Administration officials should broadly announce the intent to create an advisory committee or appoint new members to an existing committee and should provide an opportunity for relevant and interested parties to suggest nominees.
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From page 41...
... was created in 1972 under FACA to monitor and report on executive branch compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Besides providing annual reports on federal advisory committees, the secretariat operates a nonmandatory training program for staff members in all federal agencies in the nuances of FACA.
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Key Terms

  • research proposals
  • political affiliation
  • health professionals
  • committee management
  • committee meetings

  • committee act
  • community provides
  • provides advice
  • financial information
  • gao noted

  • disclose financial
  • management secretariat
  • census advisory
  • designated federal
  • federal register

  • federal employment
  • federal personnel
  • particular policy
  • committees sometimes
  • eral committee

  • committee composition
  • gsa committee
  • inform policy
  • committee candidates
  • committee requires

  • committee appointment
  • committee established
  • committee appointments
  • critical policy
  • policy usda


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