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According to Science, advisory committees are “the primary mechanism for government agencies to harness the wisdom and expertise of the scientific community in shaping the national agenda for both research and regulation.” The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requires that federal committees be “fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented” and provide advice that “will not be inappropriately influenced by the appointing authority or by any special interest.” Yet instead of seeking quality advice from expert appointments, the Bush Administration has:

• appointed people with scant scientific credentials but strong industry ties;
• appointed nonexperts with right-wing ideological agendas;
• stacked advisory committees with numerous pro-industry or ideological appointees;
• opposed the appointment or reappointment of qualified experts, including some of the most respected scientists in their fields, on the basis of political litmus tests.