House Halts Funding For Bush Order

The House of Representatives has moved to stop the White House from boosting its sway over federal regulatory agencies. In January, President George W. Bush issued a directive adding layers of bureaucracy to the process of issuing regulations and requiring agencies to provide economic rationales to justify environmental, health, and safety rules (C&EN, Jan. 29, page 10). But an amendment to the financial services appropriations bill (H.R. 2829), which was passed by the House on June 28, prevents any federal spending to implement that directive. Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), chairman of the House Science & Technology Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee, introduced the amendment. Miller, whose panel has held two hearings on the Bush directive, says the president's order "lets political appointees overrule the professionals at each agency in secret, with no accountability to anyone." Miller and other critics say the directive allows the White House to override the requirements Congress established for environmental, health, and safety regulations.