Improving Legislation with the Help of Objective Scientific Advice

Abstract

The United States Congress enacts legislation that can significantly advance or stall scientific and medical research and progress. Yet, many of these laws are enacted without a full understanding of the underlying science or the impact of the law once enacted. In the current legislative process, it is rare that a bill is fully debated, either in committee or on the house floor. For legislation that involves complex scientific issues, Congressmen with no training in science are unable to predict the effect of their actions in the real world, which can have a devastating effect on scientific progress. This chapter starts with a discussion of the legislative process and the ways in which it can stymie research efforts, followed by a description of the Dickey-Wicker Amendment as a perfect example of how Congress, acting without full knowledge of the science, can impact progress in the sciences. The chapter concludes by proposing a solution: the development of a nonpartisan Congressional Science Office, much like the Congressional Budget Office, that would solicit input from its trained staff as well as the broader scientific community and the general public to evaluate the impact of specific legislation on scientific progress.