Letter to Ms. Miriam Nisbet Director, Office of Government Information Services

Letter

Sen. Cornyn Urges Federal Official to Comply with Open Records Request for Global Warming Research

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, this week sent a letter the Director of the Office of Government Information Services in support of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for research relating to NASA's global warming studies. The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) was created by legislation Sen. Cornyn authored in the Judiciary Committee and is designed to streamline the FOIA request process for ordinary citizens. This particular request seeks information on taxpayer-funded research conducted by NASA scientists, and has been stalled for more than two years.

"Taxpayer funded research by NASA and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) concerning the warmest years on record has been the subject of dispute and after challenges, has been changed and re-released…As we consider policies on climate change which will impact our quality of life and economy for decades to come, we must have confidence in the data used to make these determinations. The data and the interactions of those responsible for its dissemination should be transparent and made available to the public," the letter reads.

-The full text of the letter is below -

December 15, 2009

Ms. Miriam Nisbet
Director, Office of Government Information Services
National Archives and Records Administration
Room 2510
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001

Dear Ms. Nisbet:

I write to direct your attention to a citizen's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request detailed in a December 3, 2009, article published in the Washington Times titled, "Global warming controversy reaches NASA climate data." The article concerns a FOIA request made to NASA that has been languishing for over two years.

The requestor, Christopher C. Horner of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, is seeking data and other information related to NASA's global warming research. Mr. Horner has indicated that he intends to bring a lawsuit to compel the agency to release the information if he does not receive a satisfactory response before the end of this calendar year.

As you know, I am one of the authors of the legislation that created the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS). OGIS was established to assist requestors like Mr. Horner by mediating their disputes with federal agencies in order to avoid litigation and, most importantly, to put the requested information in the hands of the citizens to whom it belongs.

Taxpayer funded research by NASA and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) concerning the warmest years on record has been the subject of dispute and after challenges, has been changed and re-released. What is less known is why the changes were made and what inherent flaws existed in the original data, if any. It is important to understand the reasons behind these alterations and further to avoid suspicion that data was massaged to fit the prescribed theory that global warming is attributable to man-made greenhouse gas emissions. As we consider policies on climate change which will impact our quality of life and economy for decades to come, we must have confidence in the data used to make these determinations. The data and the interactions of those responsible for its dissemination should be transparent and made available to the public.

I ask that you look into this matter and expeditiously provide the appropriate services to Mr. Horner.

Thank you for your continued service to the FOIA requestor community.

Sincerely,

Source