Based on the clear lack of reason & understanding in matters of science & technology by congress (including members of the committees in these areas), it behooves us to have qualified appointed officials oversee matters of law related to these fields. The danger of continuing to let unqualified members of congress create laws in these areas isn't unlike the proverbial chimpanzee with a handgun. It puts us & our country's future in jeopardy with the short-sighted, misguided efforts of men swayed more by lobbyists than facts.
It isn't uncommon to seek the advice of accountants when drafting budgets, it seems fitting that scientists be consulted in matters of science & its future in the USA. We can no longer live in a fantasy - science cannot bend to politics, politics must bend to science.