SST Leaders Request Information from NASEM on Greenhouse Gas Study and Committee Practices

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin, along with Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Rich McCormick and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Scott Franklin, sent a letter to Dr. Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), requesting information related to NASEM's report on Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases and U.S. Climate: Evidence and Impacts.

In the letter, the Chairmen note NASEM's long history of providing valuable scientific advice to the federal government. They emphasize that NASEM's credibility is contingent upon its objectivity, stating, "Congress has long relied on NASEM precisely because it is expected to operate free from political influence, financial entanglements, or institutional bias." The Chairmen add that "when those standards are compromised-or appear to be compromised-the value of NASEM's advice to policymakers and the public is correspondingly diminished."

The Chairmen raise concerns about the formation, funding, and expedited timeline of the Greenhouse Gases Committee, which was assembled shortly after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed rescinding its 2009 Endangerment Finding. NASEM itself acknowledged that "the impetus for this report was a notice of proposed rulemaking issued in August 2025 by the [EPA]," and the Committee produced a "fast-track[ed]" report within weeks that reaffirmed the Endangerment Finding.

They question whether the Committee's work was conducted with sufficient transparency, balance, and independence, particularly given its compressed timeline and potential reliance on private funding sources.

The letter also highlights broader structural concerns related to NASEM's exemption from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), noting that the exemption allows NASEM to operate outside many of the transparency, balance, and public accountability requirements that apply to other federal advisory committees. This exemption is particularly relevant as special interest groups have challenged other advisory reports related to the Endangerment Finding, citing FACA compliance concerns.

They also cite recent issues involving undisclosed conflicts of interest in NASEM-affiliated work, including the retraction of a climate science chapter in the Federal Judicial Center's Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, as further indication of concerns regarding conflict-of-interest safeguards and institutional practices.

The letter requests information on NASEM's communications with federal agencies, funding sources-including private donations-and its processes for ensuring objectivity, managing conflicts of interest, assembling committees, and initiating studies. It also seeks records related to the Committee's work and broader data on NASEM's funding and study practices, and asks that NASEM retain all relevant records and respond by May 1, 2026.

To read the full letter, please click here.