據一名美國前環保署高級官員披露，聯邦衛生與環境研究員在白宮與副總統錢尼（Dick Cheney）辦公室的壓力下，被要求修改其國會證詞，輕描淡寫地帶過氣候變遷對公共衛生的影響。
資深民主黨參議員堅信前環保署氣候高級顧問伯內特（Jason Burnett）的請辭，更加確證布希政府誤植民眾對氣候變遷風險的態度，以及規避環保署制定限制溫室氣體排放的相關法令等令人垢病的作為。
參議院環境暨公共工程委員會主席巴瑟（Barbara Boxer）表示，「此次氣候變遷對公衛影響的研究正遭到白宮與副總統辦公室的打壓」，「布希政府不經思慮向理應受到保護的民眾，隱瞞氣候威脅的真相，不過歷史勢必會嚴正審判其所作所為」。
美國環保署曾否決加州的立法權限，阻礙該州政府訂立車輛溫室氣體排放限制的法規；伯內特於是在6月請辭以示抗議。依《清淨空氣法案》（Clean Air Act）條例，加州享有實施較聯邦政府更為嚴格的清淨空氣法之自主權力，不過前提須事先徵得環保署同意，放棄聯邦所設立的標準。環保署行政主管強森（Stephen Johnson）已經回拒棄權，而加州政府亦已採取法律途徑，爭取自身應有之權力。
儘管美國「疾病管制局」（Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC）局長葛柏汀博士（Julie Gerberding）於其評論中，指出氣候變遷將可能對公共衛生帶來嚴重後果，不過對此議題所論著之書面證詞，約有6頁已在布希政府的命令下被刪除。
伯內特在一封信件內載明布希政府在《麻州－環保署》（Massachusetts vs EPA）一案中，如何操控環保署回應美國高等法院於2007年4月的判決。該判決要求環保署確定溫室氣體排放，是否會危害公眾健康。若研究結果顯示為界臨危害(endangerment)，則環保署必須採取行動，制定限制溫室氣體排放之規範；然而，環保署迄今尚未有動作。
2007年12月，伯內特曾電傳白宮報告環保署初步調查結果，研判溫室氣體的排放「可合理判斷出對公共衛生的危害。」隨後卻被白宮要求不要傳送該份報告，並且消除訊息；伯內特表示他拒絕遵照辦理。巴瑟表示，白宮不願開啟信件，使得報告成果最後仍舊是白紙一張。
巴瑟指出，葛柏汀原版證詞中詳列氣候變遷對公共衛生帶來的後果。然而，前環保署代理行政官員於7月6日的一封信函中指明，聯邦政府同樣試圖改寫證詞，「要求刪去『溫室氣體排放有害環境』一句」。
布希政府政治性干預氣候科學研究結果已非新鮮事。政府看守員2007年曾公布一份報告，發現在279名氣候科學家當中，近半數曾受到白宮施壓，要求在其科學論文或報告中，避免使用「全球暖化」或「氣候變遷」等字眼。此外，亦有多名科學家表示，他們也曾被限制與媒體接觸或修改其研究內容。
Officials in the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's office pressured federal health and environmental officials to edit congressional testimony to downplay the public health impacts of climate change, according to a former senior official with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Senior Senate Democrats contend the allegations of Jason Burnett, the EPA's former top climate advisor, add to evidence of a concerted effort by the Bush administration to mislead the public about the risks of climate change and to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.
"This cover-up is being directed from the White House and the Office of the Vice President," said Senator Barbara Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "History will judge this Bush administration harshly for recklessly covering up a real threat to the people they are supposed to protect."
Burnett resigned last month in protest over the EPA's decision to block California from setting limits on greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles. Under the Clean Air Act, California has the unique power to enact stricter clean air laws than the federal government, but only if the EPA issues a waiver of federal standards. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has declined to issue the waiver, and California has sued seeking to secure it from the federal agency.
Although Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, noted the serious public health concerns associated with climate change during her remarks, some six pages of her written testimony expanding on the issue were deleted at the behest of the Bush administration.
Burnett's letter also details efforts by the administration to influence the EPA's response to the U.S.
Supreme Court's April 2007 decision in the case of Massachusetts vs EPA. The ruling requires the agency determine whether greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health. An "endangerment" finding would require the EPA to take action to regulate and limit greenhouse gas emissions. The agency has yet to comply with the ruling.
Last December, Burnett emailed the White House the EPA's preliminary finding that greenhouse gas emissions "may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public welfare." According to Burnett, the White House subsequently asked him not to send the finding and retract the message, adding that he refused to comply. The White House refused to open the email, Boxer said, and "the finding was left in limbo."
Gerbering's original testimony detailed a long list of serious public health consequences of climate change, Boxer noted. The administration also sought to alter testimony to "avoid the phrase 'greenhouse gas emissions harm the environment,'" the former EPA deputy administrator wrote in the July 6 letter.
Concerns about the Bush administration's interference with climate science are hardly new. A report released last year by government watchdogs found that nearly half the 279 climate scientists being pressured to delete references to "global warming" or "climate change" from scientific papers or reports and many said they were prevented from talking to the media or had their work edited.
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