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Tuesday, January 30, 2007

NY Times and Washington Post Cover Bush Regulatory Amendments

Almost two weeks ago, President Bush amended the federal regulatory process in an attempt to delay regulations and take power out of Congress's hands. Now, the mainstream media has picked up the scent. A front page story in today's New York Times and a column in today's Washington Post both cover the story.

Posted by Matt Madia, 09:42:05 AM

Thursday, January 25, 2007

White House Wants CAFE All to Its Self

The White House wants the Department of Transportation (DOT) to continue to regulate Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, according to the online environmental news source Greenwire (subscription).

With the House of Representatives set to hold a hearing on fuel standards — and even Sen. Ted Stevens opening his mind — the Bush administration is clearly getting nervous that Congress may supersede Executive regulations. The White House wants DOT to continue to be a roadblock in the way of sensible fuel standards; and wants CAFE reform to sink in a regulatory quagmire.

Jim Connaughton, the White House's chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, doesn't think Congress should serve its Constitutionally provided role of protecting the public:

"We don't support Congress picking the numbers because Congress doesn't have the technical infrastructure to do the analysis necessary to do it in a way that will save lives and make sure we're preserving good jobs in America."

The White House position is not surprising, considering recent changes to the federal rulemaking process that place corporate interests above the public interest. Congress should ignore the White House, and provide legislation for cleaner vehicles across the nation.

Posted by Matt Madia, 03:40:11 PM

Thursday, January 18, 2007

President Bush's Changes to Rulemaking Process Undermine Public Protections

Read OMB Watch's preliminary analysis here.

Posted by Matt Madia, 07:35:49 PM

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Nation's Top Scientists Strongly Reject OMB's Regulatory Guidance

This morning, the National Academy of Sciences rejected the White House Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin. OMB charged NAS with the task of peer-reviewing the bulletin, and NAS issued a stinging rebuke.

The Bulletin calls for an overly standardized method across all agencies of assessing the potential risks of regulatory action. No matter if the issue is the environment, consumer products, or massive buildings and infrastructure, the framework would be the same.

NAS cites concerns that OMB is overstepping its bounds in suggesting this restrictive framework, and that micromanaging the ways in which agencies go about their business stymies the expertise within those agencies. Ultimately, NAS smartly concludes that this one-size-fits-all approach is unrealistic and would not jibe well with scientific and technological findings:

We began our review of the draft bulletin thinking we would only be recommending changes, but the more we dug into it, the more we realized that from a scientific and technical standpoint, it should be withdrawn altogether.

OMB has called off the Bulletin for now. Reg Watch revels in sound science trumping politics this time around.

Read the NAS news release and report

Read OMB Watch's comments on the Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin.

Read more about how the Bulletin would lead to dangerous deregulations.

Posted by Matt Madia, 03:07:25 PM

Presidential Runaround on Dudley

Last night, President Bush named Susan Dudley a senior advisor in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), according the Wall Street Journal. This decision comes one day after the president renominated the anti-regulatory Dudley to be OIRA administrator.

The process of installing a nominee as a senior advisor is not an uncommon administrative tactic; it allows the nominee to immediately begin working in a capacity similar to the post to which the person is nominated. However, considering Dudley was too extreme for the Republican-controlled 109th Congress — and that she will likely draw even more contention from the 110th — this decision to bypass Senatorial approval is a slap in the face to bipartisanship and the new Democratic majority. Furthermore, it allows President Bush to get his way regardless of the Senate’s decision. Yet another example of the Bush administration showing its lack of regard for processes outlined in our Constitution.

Posted by Matt Madia, 10:02:53 AM

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Dudley Renominated to be Regulatory Czar

Last night, President Bush renominated Susan Dudley to the position of administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) — the powerful regulatory arm of the White House.

Has President Bush been reading Reg Watch? In two Monday blogs (here and here), Reg Watch chided the Bush administration for considering naming the controversial nominee, who failed to win confirmation last year, an OIRA senior advisor.

Though more responsible than an advisor appointment — which would have circumvented the Constitutional nomination process — Dudley’s renomination is a colossal mistake. If Dudley’s record and comments are any indication, she would likely roll back decades of worker and public health protections and halt any future regulatory progress.

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in the Republican-controlled 109th Congress did not think enough of Dudley to bring her to the floor for a vote. Prospects in the 110th are hopeful, as new chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) was not warm to Ms. Dudley during last year’s confirmation hearing. The new Senate should serve its Constitutional power and disallow President Bush from installing this anti-regulatory zealot. And although the senior advisor appointment is still a possibility, the Bush administration should abandon that ill-conceived idea.

Posted by Matt Madia, 04:28:05 PM

Latest Watcher

Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Reg policy articles this time:

OIRA Back Door Open to Dudley?

EPA: Home for the Holidays

Posted by Matt Madia, 09:52:47 AM

Monday, January 08, 2007

President May Chill Bipartisan Climate with Dudley Appointment

As Reg Watch blogged earlier today, the White House is considering naming anti-regulatory zealot Susan Dudley an OIRA senior advisor, once again prioritizing big business above public welfare.

However, there is something else to note. With the new Congress less than a week old, President Bush is already rejecting his bipartisan commitments and showing his contempt for the Democratic Party and the entire legislative branch. Instead of pressing on with the nomination process, or offering a new nominee, President Bush is considering circumventing the new Democratic controlled Congress and installing an extremist without the advice or consent of the people's branch of government. It is a shame the President is already following his old pattern: thumbing his nose at the democratic process any time he doesn't get his way.

Posted by Matt Madia, 03:33:37 PM

Dudley May Occupy OIRA Office

BNA news service (subscription required) reports today that controversial OIRA administrator nominee Susan Dudley may be named a senior OIRA advisor. This move by the White House would end Dudley's official nomination, yet allow her to have an active role in policy making within the highly influential OIRA office. Dudley's nomination stalled last year when the then Republican controlled Senate failed to schedule a vote.

If the White House names Dudley a senior advisor, she will be able to impose her anti-regulatory agenda from behind the scenes — acting as a kind of regulatory puppet master. As OMB Watch has pointed out on many occasions (here, here, and here), Dudley's record indicates contempt for government regulation and a general disdain for public health and welfare. Stay tuned to see if the White House follows through on this potential mistake.

Posted by Matt Madia, 10:41:25 AM