A confidential source on the Trump transition team has told The Liberty Conservative that Rep. Thomas Massie, an award-winning, MIT-educated engineer, elected to Congress in 2012, is under consideration for the job of Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, a role commonly known as Science Advisor to the President. Massie currently serves as Chairman for the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation in the House of Representatives.
Massie’s office did not respond to our requests for comment.
During his time at MIT, Massie invented a technology that enables people to interact with computers using their sense of touch, and leveraged that technology to found SensAble Technologies, Inc., which raised over $32 million of venture capital, created 70 jobs, and obtained 24 patents. According to his House of Representatives profile the hardware and software he developed is now used to design automobiles, jewelry, shoes, dental prosthetics, and even reconstructive implants for wounded soldiers.
Massie has a reputation for being one of the most libertarian Congressmen in Washington, with his initial Washington staff being composed almost entirely of former Ron Paul campaign or Congressional office staffers. Originally a backer of Sen. Rand Paul’s presidential run, Massie enthusiastically endorsed Trump in June, praising the President-elect as ‘better than 90 percent of the congressmen I serve with’ while serving as a Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention.
As Director for the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Massie would serve as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and programs of the federal government.
During an interview with ScienceMag in 2012, Massie express skepticism of climate change being settled science, questioning whether financial incentives may factor into research on the matter:
“I have solar panels on my roof, and I’m talking to you on a phone that has been charged with solar panels. … I took a trip once to one of the inland glaciers in the Canadian Rockies, and there were stakes in the ground showing how much it had receded since the 1800s. And it was obvious to me that it had been melting since preindustrial times. …
“Most of the public is still debating whether the earth is heating up. But I think the real question is by how much? I’m still looking for an answer I can hold onto. …
“I honestly think that it’s an open question, and I hope you don’t write me off for that. I realize that there’s a conflict of interest for some of the people doing the research. I think some people are trying to integrate backwards, starting with the answer and working the other way. I think the jury is still out on the contribution of our activities to the change in the earth’s climate. …
“But to be on the safe side, I’ve got a thousand acres of trees on my property and I’m not going to cut them, even if that would be the profit-maximizing thing to do. And I don’t intend to cut them in my lifetime. And I see a lot of people who outwardly seem more concerned with the environment but aren’t doing anything about it.”
Massie also discussed how he reconciles his political ideology with his views on government in science:
“Of all the things our government does, research is probably one of the more worthwhile ones. But I’m not sure it moves the discussion forward in the short run to be asking if the government should be doing this or that, because next year, the reality is that it will be doing those things.
“The real question is, down the road, when we balance the budget, and we do need to balance the budget, how are we going to do it? And I think we’re probably going to have to cut everything.
“And this is where I part company with other Republicans. I think there will need to be cuts to the military as well. I think we’ll need to cut across the board. So if you’re asking if my ideology compels me to go to Washington and eliminate all research funding, the answer is no. But if you’re asking if my background compels me to say we need to double our spending on science, the answer is also no.”
As a member of Congress Massie has served on three committees, including the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Committee on Science, Space and Technology. He was also selected to become Chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation. The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure has jurisdiction over roads, bridges, mass transit, railroads, aviation, maritime and waterborne transit.
Should Massie be chosen for the position, he will join a growing list of libertarian members of Trump’s Administration.
I most certainly like to see more “libertarian” folks ending up close to Trump. God knows the neocon warmongers are doing all they can to keep the status quo propped up as long as possible. But are there small government, freedom-loving folks in the wings to replace these folks in the House and Senate if they become part of the cabinet? Replacing a freedom-loving Congressman with another RINO isn’t going to help drain the swamp any and may likely lead to future impediments for Mr. Trump if he actually attempts to follow through with his promises.
Shelby Wellman Jennifer Massie-Wellman
Would rather have Massie stay in the House than head up some unconstitutional federal agency he would really rather abolish. Would not mind seeing him as Speaker or in the senate one day.
Id rather him stay and fight in the House than him take that position… glad Trump is considering these types of people though
Do not let them remove you from your post. It’s a trap @thomas Massie
Having led a coalition credited, during Congressional testimony, with the law (PL101-611) privatizing space launch services, I would hope that Congressman Massie would be open to considering a variety of other related policy proposals to enhance the effectiveness of taxpayer money spent on science and technology. http://wayback.archive.org/web/20081212071704/http://www.geocities.com/jim_bowery/testimny.htm
Please consider @RepThomasMassie you would be doing country a vital service move policy in a more Libertarian direction
Great. Proud of you
You must replace Mitch.
Maybe Mitch could get appointed to be our National Turtle and then sent out to pasture. Everyone wins!!
Don’t understand the turtle reference. I don’t think Mitch will be with us much longer.
He looks like a turtle. Where is Mitch going?
Kim Hiltibrand : He is getting old. Probably die soon.
I think we need to move away from “Sustainability” and move toward “Stewardship”. With that, keep in mind that we are only being good stewards for future generations if we follow the Constitution. Then also look at what do we want to leave future generations? Is allowing national developers to come into every town in every state to duplicate the same ugly housing they’ve built to destroy the look of every other town? Do we really want our highways covered with strip malls and chain stores/restaurants, and the artery clogging traffic that comes with it? And the thoughtless expansion of building in all areas of our states/towns? We are destroying the uniqueness and beauty of every area of our country. That is really bad stewardship. With “sustainability” they want to create mega-regions under Agenda 21 removing our right to own homes and cramming us into 500sqft stack-and-pack apartments along train lines to limit our impact on the environment (while they allow millions of more people to come into our country each year creating larger and larger environmental impacts) where under “stewardship” we would be putting limitations on immigration and growth to protect our country. We just keep building and building to create those kinds of jobs since the rest have gone away – gives them good (false) employment numbers while we destroy everything good about America.