The Trump administration is reportedly considering enacting term limits on career scientists who work for the federal government, Politico reported.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to announce a final rule before President Donald Trump leaves office, which would require every scientist working in a federal agency to undergo a job review, three anonymous senior health officials told Politico. Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be among those subject to the rule.
“It’s been a step-by-step escalation in retaliation by HHS against career scientists throughout the pandemic,” a current senior administration official told Politico. “It’s a clear abuse of power by Azar.” (RELATED: White House To Block FDA Vaccine Guidelines That Would’ve Delayed Approval Past Election)
Anthony Fauci speaks with Alex Azar before receiving his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 22 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
HHS Sec. Alex Azar has been criticized during the pandemic of mixing politics with science. The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) sent a letter to Azar in October urging him to release, not block, strict FDA guidance that would’ve delayed coronavirus vaccine approval.
“Let the career scientists at FDA really do their jobs,” BIO President and CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath said in a statement. “Let them pursue the scientific questions around the COVID vaccine and have confidence in their decisions.”
But, another senior health official told Politico the expected rule wouldn’t target particular scientists, but would instead “increase diversity” within agencies, according to Politico.
“This is intended to be a good governance action,” the official told Politico. “Congress did this through the 21st Century Cures Act with [National Institutes of Health (NIH)]. I think NIH was largely supportive because it would increase diversity or opportunity for certain positions at the agency.”
HHS said in a statement mandating that scientists who work in the federal government periodically have job performance reviews is “common sense,” according to Politico.
“Most Americans have performance reviews every year, Congress faces election every two years, and presidents every four, requesting performance reviews of agency leaders twice a decade is common sense management,” he said, Politico reported.
HHS didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
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