Citizen Health & Safety

Groups oppose Cox as SEC chair

Jul 26, 2005 by Guest Blogger

The anti-investor record of Rep. Christopher Cox, President George W. Bush's nominee as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, should disqualify him from leading the agency, according to a new report by Public Citizen.

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Oregon Industries Escape Public Accountability for 'Toxic Use Reduction'

Last month, Oregon lawmakers eliminated a provision in the state's Toxics Use and Hazardous Waste Reduction law that required industries to produce annual reports on 'toxics use reduction.' The annual reporting requirement was replaced with a one-time report on pollution prevention plans, in a move that has shocked and angered state environmental leaders, who pushed to expand, not reduce, reporting on and public access to pollution prevention information.

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Stakeholders Weigh In At First-Ever Congressional Hearings on Data Quality Act

The Government Reform Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs held the first congressional hearing on the Information Quality Act, also known as the Data Quality Act (DQA) on July 20. The hearing reviewed implementation of the DQA at three federal agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). The subcommittee also heard from interested stakeholders, including industry associations that have filed data quality challenges and public interest groups seeking the policy's repeal.

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Administration Withholds Rationales Behind Anti-Regulatory Hit List

The Bush administration is refusing to inform the public about the justifications for deciding which regulatory protections were added to its hit list of safeguards to be weakened or eliminated.

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Legislative Update: Bills to Watch

The following is an update on bills introduced so far in the 109th Congress that could affect regulatory policy in the public interest. By Bill Number | By Subject Bills to Watch H.R. 185 — Program Assessment and Results Act

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H.R. 682 - Reg Flex Burden Bill: first step to regulatory sunsets

H.R. 682 — Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act POSITION: We OPPOSE this bill. Description First step in the direction of regulatory sunsets. The jusitification for reg sunsets is that older regs should expired because they are outdated, but some older regs -- like the phase-out of lead in gasoline -- are still the right thing to do even decades later. This bill would increase the burdensome and unnecessary navel-gazing of the Reg Flex Act and link those periodic reviews with assessments whether older rules should be rescinded.

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H.R. 185 - PAR Act

H.R. 185 — Program Assessment and Results Act POSITION: We OPPOSE this bill. Description

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H.R. 1229 - Attack on Consent Decrees

H.R. 1229 — Consent Decree Fairness Act POSITION: We OPPOSE this bill. Description Attacks consent decrees (the agreements that resolve cases so that they don't have to go all the way to trial) in federal court cases against state and local governments for violating federal law and ignoring your rights. Would require these agreements to expire any time there is a change in administration or every four years. Makes civil rights litigation against state and local governments more uncertain. 3/1/2005--Introduced.

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S. 489 - Attack on Consent Decrees

S. 489 — Consent Decree Fairness Act POSITION: We OPPOSE this bill. Description Attacks consent decrees (the agreements that resolve cases so that they don't have to go all the way to trial) in federal court cases against state and local governments for violating federal law and ignoring your rights. Would require these agreements to expire any time there is a change in administration or every four years. Makes civil rights litigation against state and local governments more uncertain. 3/1/2005--Introduced.

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Decision on Plan B Expected by Sept. 1

Jul 21, 2005 by Guest Blogger

After much delay, FDA has now promised to make a decision on the over-the-counter status of Plan B by Sept. 1. The administration has been dragging its feet on a decision on the "morning after pill," despite broad support from the FDA advisory committee. Only after Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) stalled the nomination of FDA head Lester Crawford did the administration finally promise to decide on the OTC status. Read more about Plan B here:
  • FDA Ignores Experts, Rejects Plan B for Over-the-Counter Use (5/17/2004)

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