WASHINGTON (August 22, 2018)—Senator Elizabeth Warren yesterday introduced legislation, the Anti-corruption and Public Integrity Act, which aims to reduce corruption in the federal government. Among other things, the legislation seeks to reduce undue corporate influence on the development of science-based public protections, close the revolving door between industry and government, and increase enforcement of ethics requirements for government officials.

Below is a statement by Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“Americans expect our government to address the repeated ethical lapses that have plagued both Congress and in particular the Trump administration. At a time when egregious special interest corruption is making daily headlines, Senator Warren’s leadership in raising these issues is most welcome to ensure the American public’s interest is not being sacrificed to politicians’ self-interests or the interests of corporations to whom politicians owe favors. Our government must attack corruption head on to help limit the influence of money in federal politics, prioritize evidence over politics in public health and safety decisions, and increase public trust and confidence in the government’s integrity.

“As we’ve seen, some members of Congress and the administration are trying to prevent agencies from using the best independent science in policymaking. We commend Senator Warren for aiming to protect independent science in governmental decisions that impact public health and safety. By starting this conversation, Senator Warren is leading Congress toward increased transparency and accountability.”