AGU: How to deal with Congress
Lots of well-meaning scientists invade Capitol Hill every year, meeting with lawmakers and (usually) arguing for more money for their disciplines. David Goldston, chief of staff for the House Science Committee, had some tips today for how researchers could best survive Washington. He's worked on the Hill for 20 years, so this man knows what he's talking about. Call them Goldston's Top Tips:
1. Don't claim that science provides an easy answer to questions of policy. Establishing the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and temperature rise is something scientists can and should do. Telling politicians how to regulate emissions is not.
2. Be very clear about the levels of uncertainty in your scientific field. In other words, don't try to sound like you know more than you do.
3. Do your homework. Realize the issues that are facing Congress every day, and that your inevitable plea for science funding will be balanced against competing priorities - say, the Iraq war or health care for children.
4. Remember Tip O'Neill's adage that all politics is local. Get to know your Congressional representatives at home, on their home turf. They'll listen to you better there than in Washington.
It'll be interesting to see how many of the geophysicists in the room will take all four to heart in January, when the new Congress convenes.