White House Science Office Facing New Scrutiny in Upcoming Hearings

Abstract

Early next month, the House Science, Space & Technology Committee will embark on a major assessment of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy—a complete survey of how the agency has done under the 1976 law that set up its present structure. Both committee chairman George Brown (D.-Calif.) and OSTP director D. Allan Bromley are looking forward to the encounter. Congress sees OSTP as the source of accountability to the American people in matters of science and technology policy. The rest of the White House may operate in secrecy, but Congress believes science and technology are too important to be held close to the vest by White House political operatives. There is a growing wave of opinion and agitation that OSTP, always under political tension, needs to be refashioned, reinspired, and reequipped for engagement with the science and technology issues of the 1990s. A fair question, however, is whether OSTP has in fact ...