U.S. Bioethics Commission Still Missing a Director to Head it Up

With a handful of bioethical issues having the potential to really blow up and become a huge issue during 2017, many are feeling quite unsettled that President Donald Trump still has yet to name a director to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). As the director, this appointee is meant to act as the presidential science advisor discussing a variety of issues and trends affecting the country and the world in general.

This empty position isn't going by unnoticed, as some Democratic members of the US House of Representatives have taken it upon themselves to draw up a letter and send it to the White House requesting the President to move along the process of appointing someone. This is just one of many high-level positions that are still sitting vacant many months into the presidency.

Vacancy is More Glaring during Technology Week

This week marked the beginning of Technology Week in the United States, as members from the largest tech companies in the world meet to discuss various issues and challenges. The fact that there is no director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy is a sizable gap during these meetings. This is a top technology position that has a lot of pull on policy.

Despite the fact the new administration doesn't seem to be giving these bioethical issues much attention, they won't be just fading away into the background.

Bioethics a Big Issue for 2017

Those in the legal field are very familiar with the bioethics facing today's world and are also aware of the fact that many of these are set to become a huge issue this year. The fact that the Bioethics Advisory body last met in January 2017 is alarming to many. The group originally began in 2009 at the request of then President Barack Obama. The role of the body is to identify, promote, examine, and advise on the various issues in technology and science.

Looking back through history, each president since Gerald Ford has formed a bioethics committee. So far, the only exception, up until Trump, was George W. Bush. In 1974, Congress passed the National Research Act, which called for a variety of specialists to take a closer look at the ethical issues that pertain to life sciences.

While it may seem that it's the science, technology, and health industries that will suffer without this Bioethics Commission, it also trickles down into other industries. Experts in the legal field are tracking seven major bioethical issues that have the potential to explode in 2017.

For those currently enrolled in their health care law degree, it is a confusing and challenging time. The area of health law and policy has never been more in the spotlight, yet seems to be lacking in direction with no commission or director to lead the charge.

When Will a Director Be Named?

As for when the administration will finally name a director to the OSTP, there seems to no rush to move the process along. For now, the seat remains empty.