Full Breakdown
GOP Lawmakers Seek Defunding of National Academies Over Climate Chapter
5/7/2026, 12:45:08 AM
Push to Suspend Funding
On May 6, 2026, Republican House members sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and OMB Director Russ Vought urging the Trump administration to suspend federal grants to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). They argue that a climate-change chapter in NASEM’s “Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence,” used by judges to evaluate scientific testimony, is biased and could affect climate litigation.
Legislative Context
The letter cites President Donald Trump’s executive order “Restoring Gold Standard Science,” which requires agency research be free of partisan influence, and Department of Transportation grant rules requiring disclosure of “significant financial interest.” Lawmakers claim the climate chapter breaches both the order and grant guidelines.
Signatories
Rep. Eric Burlison led the letter, signed by Reps. Lauren Boebert, Scott Perry, Troy Nehls, Diana Harshbarger, Anna Paulina Luna, Barry Moore, Clay Higgins, Keith Self, Andrew Clyde and Morgan Griffith.
Funding
The letter states the Department of Transportation gave NASEM $84 million in 2024. It also notes donations to NASEM from left-leaning climate groups, the ClimateWorks Foundation and the George Soros-backed Tides Foundation, and alleges NASEM has contributed to climate-change advocacy groups.
Request to Administration
The representatives asked Duffy and Vought to investigate whether NASEM’s climate chapter violates executive order and grant rules, urging a halt to the $84 million grant pending review. The request stresses compliance with federal scientific-integrity standards.
Criticism of Climate Chapter
The GOP members call the chapter “highly politicized” and designed to sway judges in climate lawsuits. They claim it lacks “fully independent, meaningful peer review,” relying on three scientists from Columbia University’s climate research centers, and allege authors’ research is funded by groups that back climate litigation, creating a conflict of interest.
Conflicting Reports
White House OMB, Department of Transportation, and NASEM did not respond to comment requests. No independent assessment of the chapter’s peer-review process or funding sources was provided, leaving the claims unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “highly politicized chapter on climate science … is clearly intended to sway judges deciding major climate lawsuits,” — Rep. Eric Burlison
- “Most shocking is that there was no fully independent, meaningful peer review from scientists with differing views on climate science,” — Rep. Eric Burlison
- “The American people are fed up with taxpayer dollars being used to push political agendas,” — Rep. Eric Burlison
- “When government-funded institutions blur the line between research and advocacy, it undermines trust and demands accountability.” — Rep. Eric Burlison
Outlook
The administration has not yet responded. If a review proceeds, outcomes include suspending the $84 million DOT grant or revising NASEM’s climate-science publications to meet the administration’s scientific-integrity standards.
