Democrats, Republicans press Biden's top scientist on gender, race and Epstein connection
Source: Politico
President Joe Bidens pick to lead the White Houses top technology office pledged Thursday to advance equity and diversity in science, amid mounting concerns from both Republicans and Democrats about his record on race and gender issues and his past meetings with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Eric Lander, Bidens pick for director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, said during a nomination hearing that he would make full inclusion and equitable outcomes a high priority for the office, including ensuring that OSTP staff will look like America. And he sought to assuage concerns about gatherings he and other scientists attended in 2012 with Epstein, whom he said he chose to have no association with.
The sum total of my interactions was that I met him briefly at two events within the span of three weeks in the spring of 2012, Lander said during a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, adding he wasnt aware of the wealthy financier's sordid history at the time. Epstein had been a convicted sex offender since 2008.
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"The Epstein connection is of tremendous concern to us," Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said at Thursday's hearing.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-republicans-press-bidens-top-scientist-on-gender-race-and-epstein-connection/ar-BB1gbHSC?li=BBnb7Kz
But Trump's association with Epstein was just fine and dandy with you.
Budi
(15,325 posts)I want to hear them admit that Trump was a friend and got a participation trophy at least once. Hypocrites.
George II
(67,782 posts)As you say, trump's association isn't of "tremendous concern to us" (her).
stillcool
(32,626 posts)NullTuples
(6,017 posts)...surrounding undisclosed conflicts of interest when he published an essay that also erased the importance of the work of two women who worked on CRISPR.
Details:
https://www.statnews.com/2016/01/25/why-eric-lander-morphed/
rpannier
(24,339 posts)Though I don't think Blackburn is the one to be raising it
on edit: This is troubling
Both the top Democrat and top Republican on the panel have expressed concern about Landers nomination due to his interactions with Epstein, POLITICO has reported, while other lawmakers have questioned his past treatment of fellow female scientists and his embrace of a notable biologist accused of espousing racist and sexist views.
snip
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the first Thai American woman elected to Congress, said she is troubled about those incidents, as well as allegations Lander has downplayed the role female scientists played in developing breakthrough genetics technology.
artemisia1
(756 posts)"The Epstein connection is of tremendous concern to us," Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said at Thursday's hearing.
You mean, "The Democratic Party connection is of tremendous concern to us,", don't you, Senator?