Yesterday, President Bush released his budget for FY 2008. Many of the president's budgetary priorities are hostile toward Americans, but three will particularly hinder the federal government's ability to regulate.

• Bush is calling for a $300 million slash in the EPA's budget. In a press statement, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson defended the cut, proving he is more interested in toeing the administration line than sticking up for his own agency or protecting the environment.
• Bush is also continuing his war on climate science by cutting the budget of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) by seven percent, according to BNA news service (subscription).
• Finally, Bush is calling for only a nominal increase in the budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the independent agency that is charged with recalling potentially dangerous products. The increase amounts to a budget cut when adjusted for inflation. According to BNA, the proposal includes calls for the lowest staffing levels in the agency's history.

On Tuesday, the House Government and Oversight Committee, captained by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), held an oversight hearing investigating the Bush administration's meddling in climate science. The hearing featured the release of a joint report by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Government Accountability Project. The good people over at Think Progress have summarized the report, in which about half of the scientists interviewed report some kind of interference. There are 435 instances of manipulation reported. Try to pick your favorite. Waxman was provoked into holding the hearing when the Bush administration repeatedly refused to allow Congress to review certain documents related to global climate change. At the hearing, Waxman announced he will be re-requesting those documents. Hopefully, with the issue gaining more media attention, the administration will not continue to misinform the public on global warming. The Bush Assault on "Global Warming" On a similar note, the Bush administration appears to be waging war on "global warming." No, not the environmental crisis, just the phrase. At the hearing, Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) revealed that Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte is prohibited from using the phrase "global warming." Read more on that here. In another effort, rumors are flying on the blogosphere that the White House website search function turns up only one result when users search for “global warming.” Keep your eye out for more on this lame attempt to censor legitimate science.

Almost two weeks ago, President Bush amended the federal regulatory process in an attempt to delay regulations and take power out of Congress's hands. Now, the mainstream media has picked up the scent. A front page story in today's New York Times and a column in today's Washington Post both cover the story.