Senate Currency Bill Saddled with Unrelated Anti-Regulatory Amendments
Oct 11, 2011 by Katie Greenhaw
Some members of the Senate used floor consideration of the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011, S. 1619, to push anti-regulatory measures through last-minute amendments. The bill was introduced to curb Chinese currency manipulation, yet it could now be tagged by amendments aimed at delaying or preventing environmental safeguards and obstructing the regulatory process.
read in fullA Dangerous, Misguided Regulatory Attack
Sep 22, 2011 by Rick Melberth*
Today, Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Mark Pryor (D-AR), and Susan Collins (R-ME), and Reps. Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Lamar Smith (R-TX) announced their intention to propose a major revision of the Administrative Procedure Act – the basic legal framework that defines how federal rules are made – that would prevent or delay by years important health, safety, and environmental standards. It's hard to imagine a more damaging attack on the federal government's responsibility to protect the public from a wide range of threats.
read in fullNew Database Sheds Light on Anti-Environment Congress as Attacks on Public Protections Continue
Sep 14, 2011 by Katie Greenhaw
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, unveiled on Monday a database of anti-environment votes by the 112th Congress. According to the minority page of the Committee's website, "the most anti-environment House in the history of Congress" has voted 125 times "to block action to address climate change, to halt efforts to reduce air and water pollution, to undermine protections for public lands and coastal areas, and to weaken the protection of the environment in other ways." The votes are searchable by legislation, topic, statute, or agency, and the database provides the American people with information about each bill or amendment, including a summary, the sponsoring member, and the outcome of the final vote.
OMB Watch Provides Analyses of Agencies' Retrospective Review Plans
Sep 1, 2011 by Rick Melberth*
President Obama's Jan. 18 Executive Order 13563, "Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review" (E.O. 13563), instructed federal agencies to develop plans for the ongoing review of existing regulations to identify rules that are "outmoded, ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome, and to modify, streamline, expand, or repeal them." On Aug. 23, the administration released final retrospective review plans, submitted by 26 agencies, that contain the list of rules to be addressed in accordance with the E.O. The plans also include descriptions of how the agencies intend to incorporate ongoing retrospective review processes into their administrative procedures. OMB Watch now has a webpage where the public can read about the plans of key health, safety, and environmental agencies responsible for safeguarding the public.
read in fullThe Good and Not-So-Good of EPA’s Chemical Reporting Rule
Aug 9, 2011 by Sofia Plagakis
In August, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the chemical reporting rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This long-awaited rule not only provides Americans with the information they deserve about toxic chemicals affecting their communities, it also enables the government to strengthen democracy by proving its investment in the health of its people.
read in fullLatest Food Recall Illustrates Need for Strong Public Safeguards and Equipped, Responsive Agencies
Aug 8, 2011 by Katie Greenhaw
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall of approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products that may be contaminated with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. This latest recall, one of the largest in U.S. history, should remind us why we need able government agencies to help identify, respond to, and prevent threats to public health.
read in fullCongress Passes Bipartisan Bill to Amend the CPSIA
Aug 2, 2011 by Katie Greenhaw
Both chambers of Congress Aug. 1 approved legislation to amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). The bill, H.R. 2715, moved through the House by a roll call vote of 421-2 before passing the Senate by voice vote. Unlike previous attempts to "fix" the CPSIA, this bill received bipartisan support.
read in fullAgencies’ Regulatory Review Plans To Be Released Soon
Aug 1, 2011 by Katie Greenhaw
Today is the deadline for federal agencies to submit their final plans for reviewing existing regulations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The plans are the second step in a process outlined by the Obama Administration to get rid of redundant, needlessly burdensome and outdated rules.
read in fullObama Announces New Fuel Efficiency Standards, Joined by Automakers
Jul 29, 2011 by Katie Greenhaw
President Obama today announced new fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks that are expected to produce savings for consumers, reduce U.S. oil dependence, and reduce air pollutants. Joined by executives from the top auto manufacturers in a rare showing of agreement, the president put forward new standards that would require cars and light trucks for Model Years 2017-2025 to achieve 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
read in fullAppropriations Riders Threaten Fundamental Environmental Protections
Jul 28, 2011 by Katie Greenhaw
Republicans in the House are loading the 2012 spending bill for the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with dozens of policy riders that would hamper efforts to protect our health, air, water, and wildlife.
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