The Republican Party is "not at war with science" when it questions how scarce federal dollars are spent by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, write Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas in
Politico magazine.
They insist that federal science funding should be driven by the national interest.
Paul, a potential 2016 contender for the presidency, is a libertarian whose positions on abortion, same-sex marriage, and homeschooling are generally in line with those of social conservatives.
Smith is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He is a member of the tea party caucus, though not an absolute skeptic on climate change, according to the Almanac of American Politics.
The lawmakers write that given the $18 trillion national debt, research investments need to support "the best science" not just any science. "Every dollar spent by the federal government must be spent just as the typical family deals with spending decisions on car payments, child care, food purchases and housing needs."
Paul and Smith cite examples of projects that appear to be extravagant if not downright wasteful: An NSF grant of $700,000 for a climate change-themed musical, and $919,000 for a study on how
conservatives use social media.
Other questionable spending included $300,000 to study bicycle designs, $487,049 to study the ancient Icelandic textile industry, and $280,558 to study the history of Chiapas in Mexico.
They call on the new GOP-controlled Congress to eliminate wasteful projects while noting that when Republicans challenge profligate spending they
find themselves vilified by academia and the media for warring against science.
"Scrutinizing science funding isn't the same as attacking science," Paul and Smith write. "Public and private investments in research and development fuel the economy, create jobs and lead to new technologies that benefit Americans' daily lives."
But spending should be targeted on areas that could provide breakthroughs to cure diseases or that would transform our lives and create new opportunities, they write.
One answer is greater transparency. Taxpayers should be able to know in plain English how the government plans to spend its grant money on research, and how particular studies might benefit the national interest, the lawmakers conclude.
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