The Chamber’s Phony Debate about Regulation
May 31, 2012 by Randy Rabinowitz
In case you missed it: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other Big Business critics of regulation assert that there has been a “regulatory tsunami” during the past few years. A recent editorial by The New York Times exposed this false claim and showed that many important rules remain stuck in the pipeline.
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America Would Know Less Under House Census Policy
May 16, 2012 by Gavin Baker
Since 1790, Americans have used the Census as a tool to understand who we are and where we stand as a nation. However, our ability to gather this crucial data would be crippled under a bill recently passed by the House.
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Secret Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement Could Undermine U.S. Health and Safety Standards
May 11, 2012 by Sofia Plagakis
On May 8, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional trade agreement between the United States and Asia-Pacific countries, kicked off a new round of negotiations. These talks will be held in secret with the text of the trade agreement hidden from the public.
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New Executive Order Ignores the Mission of Federal Regulatory Agencies
May 11, 2012 by Katie Greenhaw
A new executive order, "Identifying and Reducing Regulatory Burdens," was issued yesterday, focusing exclusively on reducing the costs of regulations to businesses. This is the latest in a series of "aggressive efforts" to reform the regulatory system by cutting these costs.
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Department of Interior’s Proposed Fracking Guidelines Disappoint
May 4, 2012 by Sofia Plagakis
For months, we've been waiting for the U.S. Department of the Interior to issue standards for natural gas drilling and extraction on federal land and tribal land. The proposed rule was finally released on May 4 and it is very disappointing.
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International Regulatory Cooperation: Will Harmonization Protect the Public or Prioritize Corporate Profits?
May 3, 2012 by Jessica Randall
A May 1 Executive Order on international regulatory cooperation has raised questions about how regulatory agencies set their priorities. Regulatory cooperation is neither a particularly new idea, nor an inherently bad one – but if not handled carefully, it could undercut the public protections on which Americans depend.
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