When the 112th Congress convened, it agreed to a rule that, barring emergencies, no bill would be voted on until its text had been publicly available for three days. Recently, however, anti-regulatory legislators have become adept at using amendments and seemingly innocuous provisions to attempt to undercut long-standing safeguards without providing sufficient time for debate and discussion of the implications of their actions. These tactics threaten public protections and the legislative process itself.
The Obama administration's efforts to protect scientific integrity moved forward recently with the submission of five finalized agency policies and 14 draft policies, but progress has been slow and haphazard. The administration recognizes that sound, uncensored science is critically important to protecting public health and the environment. The administration also understands that agencies should foster a culture of scientific integrity that includes effective policies and oversight to protect science from political manipulation and research misconduct. However, it has yet to undo the damage wrought by the previous administration.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has drafted several new rules designed to reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants and improve public health, but some of the standards still await final approval. Environmental and public health advocates have applauded the tougher standards, and a number of industry groups have said they are well positioned to comply with the new rules. The rules will provide businesses with the regulatory certainty that firms say they need to invest in modern pollution-control technologies. Moreover, major power and energy companies 
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently adopted a new standard that reduces the amount of lead allowed in children's products, providing a clear health benefit to American families. In voting July 13 to implement the lowest limit prescribed by statute, the 3-2 majority drew hostile objections from minority members. Such clashes are familiar to CPSC and could have implications for product safety in the future.
On July 1, an estimated 42,000 gallons of crude oil poured out of ExxonMobil's Silvertip pipeline and into the Yellowstone River in Montana. Significant accumulations of oil have been found more than 40 miles downriver, and traces of oil have floated twice as far. While the cause of the spill has not been determined, speculation has 
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) continues to attack public protections and will advance the anti-regulatory community’s 