Surprise? NOAA Refuses To Comply With Subpoena Over Climate Documents

Remember when Democratic lawmakers demanded documents from Skeptics who work for universities and private organizations in a witch hunt for daring to disagree with the Cult of Climastrology and there was no outrage from Leftists and other Democrats? Democrats are now fully on board with their Outrage over subpoenaing material from NOAA, and NOAA knows they have their back

(Daily Caller) The global warming debate on Capitol Hill is heating up. Government scientists refused to comply with lawmakers’ demands they turn over internal documents regarding a study that eliminated the “hiatus” in global warming from the temperature record.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials argued such records are confidential and “essential to frank discourse among scientists.” The science agency said it has a history of protecting the “confidentiality of deliberative scientific discussions.”

NOAA’s decision not to comply with a subpoena from House science committee lawmakers has only angered Chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, who says Americans have a right to know what taxpayer-funded scientists were thinking when they altered the temperature record in June.

Congress has oversight, a role given to them by that pesky Constitution thingy to make sure the Executive Branch was on the up and up for one, as part of checks and balances. They tried multiple times to do it the easy way and asked NOAA for the documents. NOAA declined. Hence, the subpoena.

“NOAA needs to come clean about why they altered the data to get the results they needed to advance this administration’s extreme climate change agenda,” Smith said. “The agency has yet to identify any legal basis for withholding these documents.”

It looks like this is going to be yet another case of stonewalling from an Executive Branch agency, similar to the VA scandal, the IRS targeting scandal, the State Department slow-walking information on Benghazi, Operation Fast and Furious, etc and so on.

One has to wonder what NOAA has to hide. NOAA is a federal government agency, and the employees and anyone involved in the study are paid by the US taxpayer. Their documents, even their communications, are subject to oversight by Congress.

Of course, Democrats are acting outraged that a House committee would dare demand documents on the study

“With the science committee, it is working scientists being intimidated, who often do not have the resources to defend themselves, and the threat is to the integrity of the scientific process in the US,” according to Vox. “It won’t take much for scientists to get the message that research into politically contested topics is more hassle than it’s worth.”

Interestingly enough, there was no outrage on the left when Democratic lawmakers were demanding documents from university climate scientists and organizations who disagreed with the Obama administration’s position on global warming.

Let’s not forget that most of the people the Democrats went after were not working for the US government.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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7 Responses to “Surprise? NOAA Refuses To Comply With Subpoena Over Climate Documents”

  1. Hank_M says:

    They’d turn it over in a heartbeat if it supported their claims. No one withholds data that proves their point.

    Probably only a matter of time before the Lerner Defense (my hard drive crashed) kicks in.

  2. drowningpuppies says:

    Thank God these activists at NOAA do not control the satellite record.

  3. Jl says:

    Because to prove your’re not altering the data, this is what you do-withhold said data.

  4. Jeffery says:

    They are not withholding any data.

    They are not supplying the committee with their communications.

  5. drowningpuppies says:

    Maybe they should take the 5th.

  6. Jeffery says:

    Rep Smith and the Denier ilk are looking for something, anything to smear the scientists because Deniers disagree with the results of the study.

    Smith and the feds have access to ALL the data and methodology. They have been briefed.

    Now they want personal communications/ emails/ phone messages in the hope of finding something, anything to smear the scientists.

    Perhaps the DOJ should subpoena Smith’s emails and messages and investigate his staff to see if they discussed their motives.

  7. gitarcarver says:

    Now they want personal communications/ emails/ phone messages in the hope of finding something, anything to smear the scientists.

    You don’t think that NOAA scientists should comply with subpoenas and FOIA requests? That the scientists are somehow above the laws of the land?

    You don’t have any curiosity as to why this group came up with a different interpretation of data than other studies?

    The communications belong to the public – not the scientists.

    It appears that they don’t want to have them published because they have something to hide.

    That wouldn’t be the case, would it Jeffery? It’s not like we haven’t seen other climate studies with plenty to hide.

    Truth enjoys the light. Liars enjoy the darkness.

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