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Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Little Chance for Vote on Vitter Amendment
The Vitter amendment appears to be dead. This afternoon, the Senate overwhelmingly voted to end debate on the minimum wage bill. (A final vote on minimum wage is expected later this week.) Only ten senators opposed the motion to end debate including, you guessed it, David Vitter. Thanks to those who contacted their Senators. Your voice may have prevented the Senate from moving forward on this vote.

Posted by Matt Madia, 05:58:50 PM

Thursday, January 25, 2007

It's Not Too Late to Call Your Senators and Tell Them to Oppose the Vitter amendment

The vote on the Vitter amendment to ease punishments for violators of information collection requirements has not yet occurred. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) — who is managing the vote on the minimum wage bill to which Vitter proposes the amendment — says that debate will continue "as far as the eye can see." For now, it appears as though the Vitter amendment will have to wait until tomorrow. Call your Senator and tell them to vote "No."

Posted by Matt Madia, 05:49:15 PM

White House Wants CAFE All to Its Self

The White House wants the Department of Transportation (DOT) to continue to regulate Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, according to the online environmental news source Greenwire (subscription).

With the House of Representatives set to hold a hearing on fuel standards — and even Sen. Ted Stevens opening his mind — the Bush administration is clearly getting nervous that Congress may supersede Executive regulations. The White House wants DOT to continue to be a roadblock in the way of sensible fuel standards; and wants CAFE reform to sink in a regulatory quagmire.

Jim Connaughton, the White House's chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, doesn't think Congress should serve its Constitutionally provided role of protecting the public:

"We don't support Congress picking the numbers because Congress doesn't have the technical infrastructure to do the analysis necessary to do it in a way that will save lives and make sure we're preserving good jobs in America."

The White House position is not surprising, considering recent changes to the federal rulemaking process that place corporate interests above the public interest. Congress should ignore the White House, and provide legislation for cleaner vehicles across the nation.

Posted by Matt Madia, 03:40:11 PM

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Tell Your Senators to Vote "No" on the Vitter Amendment

Call Your Senators Now
Senator David Vitter (R-LA) has proposed a damaging amendment to the minimum wage bill. The Vitter amendment would create new incentives for corporate special interests to refuse to provide the information needed to protect the public. This could threaten the ability of federal agencies to protect our health, safety, and environment. A coalition of public interest groups has sent a letter to all 100 senators urging them to vote against this amendment. Call your senators to voice your concern.
Read more here.

Posted by Matt Madia, 07:27:38 PM

Friday, January 19, 2007

Oversight of Tobacco Will Be Pushed by Kennedy

The New York Times and Washington Post report today that Sen. Ted Kennedy will reintroduce legislation calling for regulation of the tobacco industry. Kennedy first introduced the bill in 2004 when it was passed by the Senate but stalled in the House.

The bill proposes to place tobacco industry — which for years has been largely unregulated — within the regulatory view of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA would be able to have a say in advertising, packaging, and content, according to the Washington Post. The rise in attention to this issue comes in response to a Harvard study concluding nicotine levels have been steadily rising in cigarettes.

This bill is a common sense approach to regulating a dangerous product; and should be considered reasonable by all parties, even tobacco farmers, who will be offered hefty compensation. It is a measure that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle should ardently support.

Posted by Matt Madia, 10:23:25 AM

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Presidential Runaround on Dudley

Last night, President Bush named Susan Dudley a senior advisor in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), according the Wall Street Journal. This decision comes one day after the president renominated the anti-regulatory Dudley to be OIRA administrator.

The process of installing a nominee as a senior advisor is not an uncommon administrative tactic; it allows the nominee to immediately begin working in a capacity similar to the post to which the person is nominated. However, considering Dudley was too extreme for the Republican-controlled 109th Congress — and that she will likely draw even more contention from the 110th — this decision to bypass Senatorial approval is a slap in the face to bipartisanship and the new Democratic majority. Furthermore, it allows President Bush to get his way regardless of the Senate’s decision. Yet another example of the Bush administration showing its lack of regard for processes outlined in our Constitution.

Posted by Matt Madia, 10:02:53 AM

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Dudley Renominated to be Regulatory Czar

Last night, President Bush renominated Susan Dudley to the position of administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) — the powerful regulatory arm of the White House.

Has President Bush been reading Reg Watch? In two Monday blogs (here and here), Reg Watch chided the Bush administration for considering naming the controversial nominee, who failed to win confirmation last year, an OIRA senior advisor.

Though more responsible than an advisor appointment — which would have circumvented the Constitutional nomination process — Dudley’s renomination is a colossal mistake. If Dudley’s record and comments are any indication, she would likely roll back decades of worker and public health protections and halt any future regulatory progress.

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in the Republican-controlled 109th Congress did not think enough of Dudley to bring her to the floor for a vote. Prospects in the 110th are hopeful, as new chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) was not warm to Ms. Dudley during last year’s confirmation hearing. The new Senate should serve its Constitutional power and disallow President Bush from installing this anti-regulatory zealot. And although the senior advisor appointment is still a possibility, the Bush administration should abandon that ill-conceived idea.

Posted by Matt Madia, 04:28:05 PM

Latest Watcher

Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Reg policy articles this time:

OIRA Back Door Open to Dudley?

EPA: Home for the Holidays

Posted by Matt Madia, 09:52:47 AM

Monday, January 08, 2007

President May Chill Bipartisan Climate with Dudley Appointment

As Reg Watch blogged earlier today, the White House is considering naming anti-regulatory zealot Susan Dudley an OIRA senior advisor, once again prioritizing big business above public welfare.

However, there is something else to note. With the new Congress less than a week old, President Bush is already rejecting his bipartisan commitments and showing his contempt for the Democratic Party and the entire legislative branch. Instead of pressing on with the nomination process, or offering a new nominee, President Bush is considering circumventing the new Democratic controlled Congress and installing an extremist without the advice or consent of the people's branch of government. It is a shame the President is already following his old pattern: thumbing his nose at the democratic process any time he doesn't get his way.

Posted by Matt Madia, 03:33:37 PM

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

An Unimpressive Century of Food Safety

This week marks the 100th Anniversary of the implementation of the Pure Food and Drug Act, a landmark piece of legislation calling for federal inspection of food products and paving the way for the creation of the Food and Drug Administration. However, as a January 2 New York Times editorial points out, advances in food safety are far from adequate considering how much time has elapsed.

Though nearly a century had passed, 2006 may have been the nadir of the federal food safety era. A spinach contamination outbreak in the fall killed three, and mysterious Taco Bell food poisonings only aggravated national concern. The Times editorial points out that anti-government conservatism has been a contributing factor in the declining safety:

Since the Reagan era, conservatives have tried to turn "government regulation" into an epithet…Food safety has been particularly hard-hit by this anti-regulatory climate.

The Times is calling for the new Congress to "hold hearings to get to the bottom of those recent food disasters and to explore what the next ones are likely to be." Here's to hoping the 110th puts food safety on its legislative plate.

Posted by Matt Madia, 11:12:31 AM

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