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While the EPA is often portrayed as a massive bureaucracy, about half of its budget goes directly to other organizations through grants. While many of these are focused on cleanups and reducing environmental risks, the agency also funds scientific research into various health and environmental risks. The money for these research grants has historically been allocated based on a combination of scientific merit and environmental concerns.
All that started to change in August. That's when the EPA issued a new policy dictating that all grant programs must be run past a political appointee from the EPA's public affairs office. Now, a new report indicates that this PR specialist is cancelling individual grants.
The appointee is named John Konkus. He occupies the position of Deputy Associate Administrator for Public Affairs, which is a public relations position. Konkus has a bachelor's degree in government and politics, and he appears to have no scientific background—the closest is having worked for former Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) back when Boehlert chaired the House Science Committee. Since then, Konkus worked for then-Lieutenant Governor Rick Scott in Florida, spent time at a political consulting firm, and then got involved with the Trump campaign.
Despite the complete lack of scientific qualifications, however, the EPA decided to put him in charge of grants. In August, E&E News obtained a policy document stating that any proposals for grant programs need to be run through the Office of Public Affairs, specifically John Konkus. No funding program is allowed to go forward if Konkus does not approve it. This can include scientific funding, as well as grants for educational or environmental programs.
Now, The Washington Post is reporting that Konkus isn't only reviewing future grant programs; he has cancelled millions of dollars in grants that had already been through the review process and deemed worthy of funding. Some of these grants went to universities and so were likely involved in funding basic research. In addition, the report notes that the EPA briefly suspended funding for grants to Alaska at a time when the Trump administration was feuding with one of its senators.
According to the Post, "Konkus has told staff that he is on the lookout for 'the double C-word'—climate change—and repeatedly has instructed grant officers to eliminate references to the subject in solicitations."
(Score: -1, Troll) by jmorris on Thursday September 07 2017, @05:52PM (6 children)
This is of course Revolutionary. The way the Swamp works is the eternal bureaucracy runs things according to the dictates of the NGOs because they are lifetime hires, unfirable and ignore the elected portions of the government, secure in the knowledge that the unelected Judges have their back. Watch how fast this new EPA policy gets suspended by a Federal Judge. Eventually Trump is going to have to decide whether he surrenders to the "reality" he isn't actually in charge of anything or he starts offering free helicopter rides.
Folks, why is this even noteworthy, other than the fact no Republican has done this before? Every Democrat gets exactly what he wants, yet it has been universally accepted than when a Republican occasionally get elected they are supposed to adopt a "hands off" attitude to the government machinery they nominally administrate. Reflect on this until you see the contradiction you have used your media to insert into the mainstream consciousness and realize that IT IS OVER. It is over because we have decided we aren't playing the game with your proposed "heads we win, tails you lose" rules. We are willing to compromise though, you don't like Republican governments doing things you don't like we can agree to a SMALLER GOVERNMENT that can't do as much and thus fewer offenses when your side is out of power.
(Score: 5, Touché) by DeathMonkey on Thursday September 07 2017, @05:57PM (1 child)
Yeah, putting a political hack in charge of a science department is totally un-swamp-like.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 07 2017, @06:28PM
That's the Big Lie.
(Score: 5, Informative) by NotSanguine on Thursday September 07 2017, @06:14PM
Not so much, jmorris. Case in point: The GW Bush Energy policy was a huge success. That policy being: "Line the pockets of the energy industry."
And the current situation with John Konkus is typical of the Trump administration. Find people who are, at worst, ignorant of, and at best, militantly against, the long-established policies of federal agencies, and put them in positions where they can change/create policies which benefit the corporatists and rich cronies of Donald Trump. The biggest crony is, of course, Donald Trump.
You might be tempted to argue that this is exactly what voters want. And it's likely that in some cases that's true.
However, there's nothing in any policy pronouncement or action by the Trump administration that does anything to "drain the swamp." In fact, it's been just the opposite.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 3, Touché) by bob_super on Thursday September 07 2017, @06:45PM (1 child)
> It is over because we have decided we aren't playing the game with your proposed "heads we win, tails you lose" rules
So, tell us how you are personally winning.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 07 2017, @06:51PM
> So, tell us how you are personally winning.
He's winning so much he's tired of winning.
(... perhaps that was supposed to be "whining".)
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Thursday September 07 2017, @06:50PM
Who will clean up the Hanford site?
Hm?
Surely, mr. Konkus will hire the most worthy contractors, because this EPA problem (since 1988) has nothing to do with the taboo words Climate Change.
2017-08-09 Hanford: Plutonium found in air samples near public highway [king5.com]