A formal Environmental Protection Agency official recently informed Congress that U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's office has been using the “delete” key to their advantage. Last year, they reportedly edited a testimony by the Centers for Disease Control at length to diminish negative public health effects of climate change.

Jason Burnett, formerly an EPA associate deputy administrator, wrote a letter to U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D., Calif.) claiming that, "the Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of the Vice President were seeking deletions to the CDC testimony."

This is not the first time that the Bush Administration has been accused of keeping information regarding the dangers of climate change away from the public. Most recently, the White House's Office of Management and Budget asked the EPA to delete sections of a document regarding the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions.

Sen. Boxer is not taking these allegations lightly, and claims she will hold a July 22 hearing regarding the dangers of global warming. Cheney has more than likely assigned a few interns to pull fire alarms, call in bomb threats and bang on the window like Ben in The Graduate.

Cheney Sought To Alter Climate Discussion (The Wall Street Journal)