The Bush administration is overhauling scientific advisory committees that were reaching conclusions contrary to its political objectives, according to a recent article in the Washington Post. Findings by these committees, which are made up by private experts and are found at virtually every agency, frequently form the foundation for regulatory action, which the administration seems determined to avoid at all costs. Not surprisingly, the administration is moving to stack the deck in favor of its predetermined views. Specifically:

Earthjustice and Public Campaign recently released a joint report that links recent Bush rollbacks of environmental protections to industry campaign contributions. Specifically:

• The administration revoked protections against hard rock mining -- allowing increased dumping in streams, rivers and wetlands -- as mining interests forked over a total of $3.1 million to the Bush-Cheney campaign and the Republican National Committee during the 2000-2002 election cycles;

A final EPA rule to cut emissions from snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles is weaker than the agency’s original proposal, which met resistance from the vice president’s office and John Graham, administrator of OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), who sided with the snowmobile industry.

The Bush administration has turned back the clock with John Graham in place as head of OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which as an arm of the White House has the authority to review and possibly reject or amend new agency regulations. Graham, whose nomination was overwhelmingly opposed by the environmental community, labor unions, and public health advocates, has moved swiftly to create new barriers to health, safety, and environmental protections, and to assert centralized control over regulatory policy at OIRA. Subverting Congress