Background of Bush Officials

Background of Bush Officials:

News

Mine Safety Subordinated to Mining Company Interests 08/09/2004
A front-page story in the New York Times August 9 examined the Bush administration's record over the last four years of subordinating mine safety issues to the special interests of the mining companies, stressing in particular the role of former mining executive Dave Lauriski, who is now head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Read More

Foxes in the Henhouse 08/14/2004
Coverage of the Bush administration's record of appointing industry leaders to serve in the agencies that are supposed to regulate those same industries. Read More

Beating Around the Bushes 01/16/2002
One year after President Bush's election, his administration is still slowly starting to take shape. Many vacancies remain, as pointed out by this Brookings Institution project; there are still 159 confirmations left to go out of a total of 508 positions. Yet from the president's nominees so far, the direction he is taking is clear. As described below, federal agencies are becoming littered with former industry lobbyists -- who must now be counted on to regulate their former employers -- and others who have spent their lives questioning the very existence of the agencies they now represent. Needless to say, this does not bode well for health, safety, and environmental protections, as well as civil rights. The following provides the often-disturbing backgrounds of those who now call the shots over these issues. Read More