[Infowarrior] - WH severely redacts CDC director's testimony on climate change

[Richard Forno]

 White House cut warming impact testimony

By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press WriterTue Oct 23, 7:07 PM ET

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071023/ap_on_re_us/global_warming_health&printe
r=1;_ylt=AlkSIpOU8wcVD2bcPJENRitH2ocA

The White House severely edited congressional testimony given Tuesday by the
director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the impact of
climate change on health, removing specific scientific references to
potential health risks, according to two sources familiar with the
documents.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Atlanta-based CDC, the government's
premier disease monitoring agency, told a Senate hearing that climate change
"is anticipated to have a broad range of impacts on the health of
Americans."

But her prepared testimony was devoted entirely to the CDC's preparation,
with few details on what effects climate change could have on the spread of
disease. Only during questioning did she describe some specific diseases
that likely would be affected, again without elaboration.

Her testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee had
much less information on health risks than a much longer draft version
Gerberding submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget for
review in advance of her appearance.

"It was eviscerated," said a CDC official, familiar with both versions, who
spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the
review process.

The official said that while it is customary for testimony to be changed in
a White House review, these changes were particularly "heavy-handed," with
the document cut from its original 14 pages to four. It was six pages as
presented to the Senate committee.

The OMB had no comment on Gerberding's testimony.

"We generally don't speculate and comment on anything until it is the final
product," said OMB spokesman Sean Kevelighan. He added that OMB reviews take
into consideration "whether they ... line up well with the national
priorities of the administration."

The CDC is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and its
congressional testimony, as is normal with all agencies, is routinely
reviewed by OMB.

But Gerberding, who could not be reached late Tuesday for comment, was said
to have been surprised by the extensive changes. Copies of the original
testimony already had been sent to a number of associated health groups
representing states, county and city health agencies that the CDC routinely
coordinates with, a CDC official said.

CDC spokesman Tom Skinner sought to play down the White House changes. He
called Gerberding's appearance before the Senate panel "very productive" and
said she addressed the issues she wanted during her remarks and when
questioned by the senators.

"What needed to be said as far we're concerned was said," said Skinner in a
telephone interview from Atlanta. "She certainly communicated with the
committee everything she felt was critical to help them appreciate and
understand all the issues surrounding climate change and its potential
impact on public health."

The deletions directed by the White House included details on how many
people might be adversely affected because of increased warming and the
scientific basis for some of the CDC's analysis on what kinds of diseases
might be spread in a warmer climate and rising sea levels, according to one
official who has seen the original version.

Gerberding seems to have tried to address some of those issues during
questioning from senators.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the committee's chairman, produced a CDC chart
listing the broad range of health problems that could emerge from a
significant temperature increase and sea level rise

They include fatalities from heat stress and heart failure, increased
injuries and deaths from severe weather such as hurricanes; more respiratory
problems from drought-driven air pollution; an increase in waterborne
diseases including cholera, and increases vector-borne diseases including
malaria and hantavirus; and mental health problems such as depression and
post-traumatic stress.

"These are the potential things you can expect," replied Gerberding when
asked about the items listed. "... In some of these areas its not a question
of if, it's a question of who, what, how and when."

Peter Rafle, a spokesman for Boxer, said the senator knew nothing about
changes that might have been made to Gerberding's testimony by the White
House.