Before Christine Todd Whitman can issue a new standard protecting against arsenic in drinking water, she must get his approval. Ditto if Tommy Thompson wants to collect information on nursing home performance. Or if Ann Veneman wants to require new testing for listeria in meat products. In fact, no health, safety, or environmental standard is beyond his reach.

Under E.O. 12866, OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviews all major proposed and final rules, as well as other designated rules, to determine whether the agency proposal is consistent with administration policies and priorities. In addition to regulatory review, OIRA reviews all information collected by agencies from 10 or more people, including paperwork required by regulations. This paperwork review, required under the Paperwork Reduction Act, is to be done by OIRA within 90 days of receipt and gives OIRA the power to approve or disapprove the paperwork.

Two days after Christmas, with no one around to object, the Bush administration quietly revoked a Clinton-era rule that promotes greater accountability for federal contractors -- to make sure they comply with important public protections. Specifically, this contractor responsibility standard instructed government contracting officers to look at a bidding company's compliance with the law (including tax laws, labor laws, employment laws, environmental laws, antitrust laws and consumer protection laws) before awarding taxpayer dollars.

After a mere 20 minutes of debate, the Senate unanimously confirmed Bush's choice for director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Mitch Daniels. The decisions Daniels makes will be critical, and not just to OMB, but to the entire federal government. For a discussion of what Daniels may mean for OMB, see the January 22, 2001 Watcher.