mr. chairman , i rise to offer an amendment to prohibit the department of health and human services from using political litmus tests in making appointments to scientific advisory committees . 
advisory committees play a crucial role in the development of policy . 
that role is to offer policymakers the best available expertise on scientific matters . 
science is not liberal or conservative . 
it is not democratic or republican . 
in order to develop the best policy , our government needs to hear the facts from the most qualified experts , regardless of their political affiliation . 
this common sense principle is widely accepted in the scientific community . 
it has been endorsed by the national academy of sciences , the american academy for the advancement of science , and numerous other scientific organizations . 
this amendment simply adopts this principle into policy . 
it would prohibit funding for any committee where members are chosen on the basis of political affiliation , unless required by law . 
unfortunately , the current administration has a terrible track record on this issue . 
it has repeatedly applied political litmus tests in making appointments to advisory committees . 
a nationally recognized expert on substance abuse was asked if he had voted for president bush . 
after he answered honestly , he was not appointed . 
an expert in marine ecology was asked if she supported the president 's economic and foreign policy agenda . 
after she told the truth , she was immediately dropped from consideration . 
a nobel prize winner was nominated for an important nih panel on international health . 
according to a senior nih official , he was not picked because he had `` signed too many full page letters in the times. '' the administration 's use of political litmus tests has generated outrage in the scientific community . 
the editor of the journal science has stated , `` i do n't think any administration has penetrated so deeply into the advisory committee structure as this one , and i think it matters ... ... . 
if you start picking people by their ideology instead of their scientific credentials , you are inevitably reducing the quality of the advisory group. '' these actions are unacceptable . 
expert advisory panels should be filled with scientific experts , not party loyalists . 
this is the only way our government will have the information it needs to make the best policies on behalf of the american people . 
our country 's premier scientific organizations have affirmed the core principle that scientific advice should be provided by the best scientists . 
i urge my colleagues to endorse this principle and support this amendment . 
