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 on Apr. 21 to Dr. Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), requesting information about the NASEM’s Committee on Attribution of Extreme Weather and Climate Events and Their Impacts.
The letter raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest among members of the Attribution Committee. The Chairmen said that "publicly available information suggests a troubling pattern" in which committee members are affiliated with nonprofits supporting climate accountability lawsuits, "raising the appearance of impropriety and member bias." They stressed that "taxpayer-funded and government-sponsored science is objective, transparent, and free from conflicts that could compromise its integrity," warning these relationships raise questions about NASEM’s adherence to its own policies.
Committee leaders also questioned recent changes made in January 2025 to NASEM's conflict-of-interest policies. While financial conflicts may disqualify committee members from service, they noted non-financial conflicts—such as professional or legal affiliations—"need only be disclosed, with no protocol for mitigation," which they said could undermine impartiality and public trust.
The letter further asks whether the Attribution Committee represents an appropriate "range of perspectives," as required by NASEM policy. The Chairmen wrote that it was important for members to be “objective and open-minded in addressing the issues before it.” Additional concerns include transparency regarding limited public access to meetings as well as safeguards against sponsor influence.
To address these issues, Babin and his colleagues requested detailed documentation regarding NASEM’s policies for committee selection as well as records related to how the Attribution Committee was formed. They asked that all relevant documents be retained by NASEM pending their review process with a response requested by May 8.
