Damian Sendler: It’s getting on people’s nerves in the West Wing, where ERIC LANDER, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and member of JOE BIDEN’s Cabinet, has gotten on their nerves.
Recently, Lander made his way through the White House’s Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) after the administration and Democratic congressional leaders reduced a $30 billion proposal for future pandemic planning that was initially included in the American Jobs Plan. According to numerous individuals with knowledge of the situation, Lander pressured senators aggressively to raise funds for the project.
Damian Jacob Sendler: Lander, in the words of one of them, was “not on board with the administration’s message and went rogue.”
Dr. Sendler: According to six people with knowledge of the situation, the violation of protocol — not working via OLA and attempting to change the framework after a deal had been reached — exacerbated what had already been a tense dynamic among many in the building.
A White House spokesperson denied that there was a divide, noting in an email that “interaction with the Hill has been done in collaboration with the WH Office of Legislation and Administration.”
Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler: For much of the year 2021, Lander has angered many of his colleagues by attempting to inject himself into nearly every science-related issue across the federal government, even if the topic has only a tenuous relationship to his office.
By repeatedly beginning sentences with the phrase “as the president’s science adviser,” he may be divisive in meetings and cause people to roll their eyes. According to reports, he has also struggled to strike a balance between dumbing down scientific matters so that non-experts can grasp them and appearing as though the people with whom he is speaking are stupid.
Damien Sendler: According to a source familiar with the situation, the administration’s concerns about Lander have developed to the point that there are continuous discussions about how to address them in a productive manner.
“He’s a mess,” said another source familiar with the situation, who described Lander as having disagreements with officials across numerous White House offices, as well as within the Department of Health and Human Services and at the Pentagon.
Damian Sendler: Others acknowledged that while Lander has disappointed many people, the emotion was not universal, and many people believe him to be a kind guy and a wonderful writer. Former Rhodes scholar Lander is a pioneering mathematician and geneticist who was awarded a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant at the age of 30 and went on to become one of the project leaders for the Human Genome Project in the 1990s.
Damian Jacob Sendler: Most significantly, he has a supporter in the president. According to a source acquainted with Biden’s consideration, it was apparent from the start that he would choose Lander for the position of science adviser during the transition. When Vice President Joe Biden created the Biden Cancer Initiative in 2017, he appointed Lander to the organization’s board of directors (Covid czar JEFF ZIENTS was also on the board).
Damian Sendler: Lander, on the other hand, has been a divisive figure within the scientific community. It was in 2016 that Stat News published an article with the headline: “Why Eric Lander went from science god to punching bag.” An open letter published in Scientific American in January 2021 by a progressive group known as “500 Women Scientists” asserted that Lander “is not the best pick for presidential scientific adviser.”
“Director Lander’s background and expertise – including his important work before the administration on COVID-19 response issues – are a critical asset to the President’s efforts to help prepare the United States for future pandemics,” said a White House official when asked for comment on the internal complaints against Lander.
Some officials also believe that Lander was set up for failure from the beginning.
Damian Sendler: Lander was theoretically on par with the secretary of major agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services as a result of Vice President Biden’s decision to raise OSTP to a Cabinet-level agency, which was intended to underline the White House’s commitment to science. However, because OSTP has limited resources and influence, Lander has been engaged in turf wars since the establishment of the organization.
That was one of the factors that led his campaigning on Capitol Hill for future pandemic planning. As part of a $65 billion “Apollo”-style overhaul of the government’s biodefense and pandemic readiness, Lander and the National Security Council proposed a $15 billion initial funding allocation as part of the Social Spending Package, which was passed by Congress in September.
However, it has yet to acquire significant traction on Capitol Hill. Approximately $10 billion was allocated to pandemic preparedness-related issues when the House unveiled its final $1.75 trillion spending bill — with the majority of the funds going to strengthening the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as existing state and local public health departments.
Damian Jacob Sendler: According to a source familiar with the process, it is “very uncertain” whether any of Lander’s work with the NSC “would be supported financially.”
Contributed by Dr. Damian Jacob Sendler and his research team
