This information came from another email action alert I received today from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Government agencies need to use the best available science to protect our health - setting standards that limit toxins in our drinking water and pollutants in the air we breathe. But a recent presidential directive would give the White House excessive control over the work of federal agencies, making science more vulnerable to political interference. Unless something is done, this directive will embed political appointees inside federal scientific agencies where they could more easily prevent inconvenient science from ever seeing the light of day.

Soon your senator will have the chance to stop this White House Power Grab by cutting the funds for this directive. Just a few phone calls on this critical issue will make a huge difference.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has been leading the fight against this power grab. If you live in any of the following states, please call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at (202) 224-3542 to voice your support for Senator Durbin's efforts: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, DC, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, or Wyoming.

If you live in any other state, the contact information is listed below: (note all area codes are 202 with prefix 224, I will just type in the 4 digit phone number:
Arkansas - Blanche Lincoln 4843 and Mark Pryor 2353
California - Barbara Boxer 3553 and Dianne Feinstein 3841
Colorado - Kenneth Salazar 5852
Connecticut - Christopher Dodd 2823 and Joseph Lieberman 4041
Delaware - Joseph Biden 5042 and Thomas Carper 2441
Florida - Bill Nelson 5274
Hawaii - Daniel Akaka 6361 and Daniel Inouye 3934
Illinois - Richard Durbin 2152 and Barack Obama 2854
Indiana - Evan Bayh 5623
Iowa - Charles Grassley 3744 and Tom Harkin 3254
Louisiana - Mary Landrieu 5824
Maine - Susan Collins 2523 and Olmpia Snowe 5344
Maryland - Benjamin Cardin 4524 and Barbara Mikulksi 4654
Massachusetts - Edward Kennedy 4543 and John Kerry 2742
Michigan - Carl Levin 6221 and Debbie Stabenow 4822
Minnesota - Amy Klobuchar 3244
Missouri - Claire McCaskill 6154
Montana - Max Baucus 2651 and Jon Tester 2644
Nebraska - Benjamin Nelson 6551
Nevada - Harry Reid 3542
New Jersey - Frank Lautenberg 3224 and Robert Menendez 4744
New Mexico - Jeff Bingaman 5521
New York - Hillary Rodham Clinton 4451 and Charles Schumer 6542
North Dakota - Kent Conrad 2043 and Bryon Dorgan 2551
Ohio - Sherrod Brown 2315
Oregon -Ron Wyden 5244
Pennsylvania - Robert Casey 6324
Rhode Island - Jack Reed 4642 and Sheldon Whitehouse 2921
South Dakota - Tim Johnson 5842
Vermont - Patrick Leahy 4242 and Bernard Sanders 5141
Virginia - Jim Webb 4024
Washington - Maria Cantwell 3441 and Patty Murray 2621
West Virginia - Robert Byrd 3954 and John D. Rockefeller 6472
Wisconsin - Russel Feingold 5323 and Herb Kohl 5653

Talking Points:
- Hello, my name is .... and I'm calling from ..city, state
- I'm calling to urge the senator to stop the White House from sidelining science by cutting the funds to Executive Order 13422 during the appropriations process.
- The executive order gives the White House excessive control over the standards government agencies set to protect our health and environment, making science particularly vulnerable to political interference.
- the executive order also allows specially designated political appointees to have the last word on science-based agency actions without public knowledge, input, or debate.
- Furthermore, it forces federal agencies to justify their rules by demonstrating that they address economic needs rather than a threat to public health and safety or the environment.
- Please ensure that federal policy making maintains the proper checks and balances by using the appropriations process to cut the funds to Executive Order 13422.
- Thank you for your time.

Unfortunately we are not always aware of issues being processed. Here is our chance to make a difference.

Infinite Blessings,
Suncatcher