WASHINGTON -- President Bush's first surgeon general testified yesterday that his speeches were censored to match administration political positions and that he was prevented from giving the public accurate scientific information on issues such as stem cell research and teen pregnancy prevention.
"Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is ignored, marginalized or simply buried," said Dr. Richard H. Carmona, surgeon general from 2002 to 2006, to a House committee. "The job of surgeon general is to be the doctor of the nation - not the doctor of a political party."
Early in the administration, when the issue of federal funding for stem cell research arose, Carmona said, he felt he could play an educational role by discussing the latest scientific research. Instead, he said, he was told to "stand down" because the White House already had made a decision to limit stem cell studies. He said administration appointees who reviewed his speech texts deleted references to stem cells.
Carmona's remarks were the latest among complaints from government scientists about what they say are administration efforts to control - and sometimes distort - scientific evidence in order to support policy decisions.
NASA scientists have complained of political pressure to tone down warnings about global warming. EPA officials have complained that technical data on power plant emissions and oil drilling have been ignored.
Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, recently dissented from the administration's position by saying its restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research were holding back progress and should be lifted.
Scientists outside the government also have complained about what some call the administration's "war on science."
In the case of the surgeon general, Carmona told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, "the reality is that the nation's doctor has been marginalized."
His testimony drew a pointed rebuke from the White House. Officials suggested that any breakdown in communicating health information to the American people was a failure on his part.
"Dr. Carmona was given the authority and had the obligation to be the leading voice for the health of all Americans," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.
"It's disappointing to us if he failed to use his position to the fullest extent in advocating for policies he thought were in the best interests of the nation. We believe Dr. Carmona received the support necessary to carry out his mission," Fratto said.
Carmona served his four-year term as surgeon general and was not reappointed. One of his major accomplishments as surgeon general was a landmark report on the dangers of second-hand smoke. Its release was delayed for political reasons, he said.
Carmona said he also ran afoul of politics on teen pregnancy prevention. While the administration emphasizes abstinence, Carmona said he believes a variety of approaches are needed, including contraception for those teens who are sexually active.
The administration "wanted to preach abstinence, which I felt was scientifically incorrect," Carmona testified.
On the issue of stem cell research, Carmona said he found much of the discussion within the government "devoid of science."
Embryonic stem cells can be grown into any type of cell in the body, and many scientists see in them the promise of a cure for diseases. But producing the cells involves the destruction of human embryos - which religious conservatives and others find morally objectionable.
Bush has limited federal funding for stem cell research and blocked attempts by Congress to lift the restriction.
Carmona testified alongside former surgeons general C. Everett Koop and David Satcher, who served in the Reagan and Clinton administrations respectively. They also told the committee they had encountered political interference - particularly on morally charged issues such as sexuality or drug use.
"The surgeon general has to be independent if the surgeon general is going to have any credibility," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman. a California Democrat who chairs the oversight committee.
Some Republican members suggested Carmona simply wasn't cut out for the Washington insiders' game of turf battles.
The House hearing came two days before a Senate panel meets to consider the nomination of Carmona's replacement, a Kentucky cardiologist.
As a prominent lay member of the United Methodist Church, Dr. James Holsinger strongly opposed liberalizing church policies toward gays.
Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar writes for the Los Angeles Times.