In the current political climate, it is unlikely that Congress will succeed in passing legislation that protects the public from the range of regulatory failures we experienced in 2007. The barriers to substantially improving public health, worker safety, and environmental quality seem too high in this election year, especially given President Bush's willingness to use his veto power. What Congress can accomplish in 2008 is establishing legislative and oversight priorities over numerous health, safety, and environmental issues. In many instances, however, we will see states move ahead with a variety of actions designed to improve public protections. The executive branch will also play an increasingly important role as the Bush administration comes to a close.

The Bush administration rejected an attempt by California and several other states to combat global warming by placing a cap on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Stephen Johnson, head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced the decision Dec. 19, 2007. Environmental advocates and members of Congress have sharply criticized the decision, and several states have already filed suit in federal court hoping to overturn it.