Democrats Use Fine Print to Stymie Bush's Deregulation Agenda

[madfloridian]

Source: Bloomberg News

Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- It is a single sentence, on page 147 of the annual appropriations bill funding the White House, listed under the title ``Additional General Provisions.''

The 18-word clause eliminates the money to pay for political appointees in each federal agency whose jobs are to approve any new regulations. By cutting the money for the positions, Congress would effectively repeal President George W. Bush's 11-month old initiative.

Democrats, writing the budget for the first time since Bush took office, are using their power over the purse to thwart Bush's campaign to loosen federal regulations. Lawmakers have added fine print to must-pass appropriations bills that sets new policy goals and increases funding for regulators such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

``It is critically important when we are facing beef recalls, toy recalls, mine collapses and workplace infringements that Congress provide the necessary resources to the relevant agencies for them to do the jobs they are required to do,'' said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, 90, a West Virginia Democrat.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=a_7HlSKN7E0U&refer=politics

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Fairly long article, but this paragraph from it adds more clarity.

"Democrats are also using a tool known as ``limitation'' -- which prevents an agency from spending money on a specific activity -- to try to kill Bush's Jan. 18 executive order requiring proposed regulations to be vetted by appointees in each agency."

My thought: A cowboy president who still stubbornly says he will ramp up the pressure on Iran after the NIE report just came out is not about to allow this effort to stand.

But kudos to the Democrats for the effort.

[madfloridian]

1. Could someone tell me why this was moved from LBN?

It is a good source, Bloomberg News...and it was Dec. 4.

Everytime I post in LBN it gets locked.

:shrug:

It is in the News > Politics section of Bloomberg, not editorial.

I would like to understand.

[mikelgb]

2. beats me

[gratuitous]

3. Fight a little fire with fire

Bush sure likes him the fine print and the shadows for carrying on operations; I'm just surprised that three-quarters of the article wasn't taken up with unsourced Republican whining.

[Redneck Socialist]

4. Don't know why it got kicked out of LBN

Strikes me as GD material, but still, probably the most important post in GD,P right now, but since it's not about Clinton or Obama it won't get much notice.

Try changing the subject line to Hilary sucks. That'll attract more attention. :evilgrin:

[madfloridian]

5. That's funny.

:evilgrin:

And that is about the way to get attention...all caps too.