EXAMINING MISCONDUCT AND INTIMIDATION OF SCIENTISTS BY SENIOR DOE OFFICIALS JOINT HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT & SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION September 21, 2016 Serial No. 114–94 Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 22–563PDF WASHINGTON : 2017 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HON. LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas, Chair FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., ZOE LOFGREN, California Wisconsin DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois DANA ROHRABACHER, California DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas ERIC SWALWELL, California MO BROOKS, Alabama ALAN GRAYSON, Florida RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois AMI BERA, California BILL POSEY, Florida ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky MARC A. VEASEY, Texas JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma KATHERINE M. CLARK, Massachusetts RANDY K. WEBER, Texas DON S. BEYER, JR., Virginia JOHN R. MOOLENAAR, Michigan ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado STEVE KNIGHT, California PAUL TONKO, New York BRIAN BABIN, Texas MARK TAKANO, California BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas BILL FOSTER, Illinois BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia GARY PALMER, Alabama BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana DARIN LAHOOD, Illinois WARREN DAVIDSON, Ohio SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT HON. BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia, Chair F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., DON BEYER, Virginia Wisconsin ALAN GRAYSON, Florida BILL POSEY, Florida ZOE LOFGREN, California THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas DARIN LAHOOD, Illinois WARREN DAVIDSON, Ohio LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY HON. RANDY K. WEBER, Texas, Chair DANA ROHRABACHER, California ALAN GRAYSON, Florida RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas ERIC SWALWELL, California MO BROOKS, Alabama MARC A. VEASEY, Texas RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky KATHERINE M. CLARK, Massachusetts STEPHAN KNIGHT, California ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas (II) C O N T E N T S September 21, 2016 Page Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2 Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Barry Loudermilk, Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ................................................................................................ 4 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 6 Statement by Representative Don Beyer, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Oversight, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ................................................................................................ 8 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 10 Statement by Representative Randy K. Weber, Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Rep- resentatives ........................................................................................................... 12 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 14 Witnesses: Dr. Sharlene Weatherwax, Associate Director, Biological and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 16 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 19 Dr. Noelle Metting, Radiation Biologist, U.S. Department of Energy Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 26 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 28 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 75 Appendix I: Additional Material for the Record Statement submitted by Representative Lamar S. Smith, Chairman, Com- mittee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .... 106 Statement submitted by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................................................................................... 109 Document Submitted by Representative Zoe Lofgren, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................... 110 Documents submitted by Representative Randy Hultgren, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ..................... 118 Document submitted by Representative Don S.Beyer, Ranking Member, Sub- committee on Oversight, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................................................ 127 Report submitted by Representative Lamar S. Smith, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ................ 139 Document submitted by Representative Randy Weber, Chairman, Sub- committee on Energy, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................................................................... 178 (III) EXAMINING MISCONDUCT AND INTIMIDATION OF SCIENTISTS BY SENIOR DOE OFFICIALS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, D.C. The Subcommittees met, pursuant to call, at 10:08 a.m., in Room 2318, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Barry Loudermilk [Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight] presiding. (1) 2 lAMAR S. SMITH, Tttxas !:DO!£ BERNICE JOHNSON, Texlls CHAIRMAN RANKING MEMilF.R ltongrrss of tht 'llnittd ~tatrs ~OUIIC Of 1RcprCiltntatiUCil COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 2321 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6301 (202) 225-6371 WW>,V.5ci~nce.houss.gt;IV Subcommittees on Energy and Oversight Examining Misconduct and Intimidation ofScientists by Senior DOE Officials Wednesday, September21, 2016 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. 2318 Rayburn House Office Building Dr. Sharlene Weathetwax, Associate Director, Biological & Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy Dr, Noelle Metting, Radiation Biologist, U.S. Department of Energy 3 U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HEARING CHARTER Wednesday, September2l, 2016 TO: Members, Subcommittee on Oversight and Energy FROM: Majority Staff, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology SUBJECT: Joint Subcommittee hearing "Examining Misconduct and Intimidation of Scientists by Senior DOE Officials" The Subcommittees on Oversight and Energy will hold a joint hearing titled "Examining Misconduct and Intimidation ofScientists by Senior DOE Officials" on Wednesday, September 21,2016, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2318 of Rayburn House Office Building. Hearing Purpose: This hearing will examine actions by Senior U.S. Department of Energy officials to intimidate scientists and withhold information from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology during the legislative process. Witness List • Dr. Sharlene Weatherwax, Associate Director, Biological and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy • Dr. Noelle Metting, Radiation Biologist, U.S. Department of Energy Staff Contact For questions related to the hearing, please contact Aaron Weston of the majority staff at (202) 225-6917. 4 Chairman LOUDERMILK. The Subcommittee on Oversight and En- ergy will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess of the subcommittee at any time. Welcome to today’s hearing entitled ‘‘Examining Misconduct and Intimidation of Scientists by Senior DOE Officials.’’ I now recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement. Good morning, and welcome to today’s Oversight and Energy Subcommittee hearing examining the intimidation of scientists at the Department of Energy. Congressional oversight and authority to access information is a constitutional authority granted to Congress. Without open dia- logue with the federal agencies, Congress cannot gather the infor- mation needed to effectively legislate. Today, we will examine a clear case of this committee’s request for information directly re- lated to the legislative process and the executive branch’s actions to block Congressional access to federally funded research. Unfortunately, what we will learn at today’s hearing is not an isolated incident. It fits a pattern of intentional misinformation from the Obama Administration officials, ranging from FDIC to NIST to EPA, and now the Department of Energy. While