Political Quotes

“This manager's amendment does not fix the flaws in the bill we are considering. One of the major flaws in the bill is the authority it gives to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to hold up rules indefinitely. This amendment attempts to address that concern by requiring that any extension be agreed to by both the White House and the agency issuing the rule. It is just not realistic to believe that an agency whose top official is appointed by the President would tell the White House it cannot have an extension if the White House asks. This amendment also does nothing to address the concern that the bill could interfere with other laws. The Natural Resources Defense Council sent a letter to House Members opposing H.R. 1009. That letter states: ``The bill would also revive legislative language that Congress repealed elsewhere because it made it impossible to protect the public. Specifically, in H.R. 1009, OIRA is charged with ensuring that a regulation imposes the least burden on society. Congress removed such language when it updated the Toxic Substances Control Act because the phase had made it impossible for chemical safety regulations to pass judicial muster, even when the chemical was asbestos, well known to be a potent carcinogen.'' This amendment also includes language that says that no funds shall be authorized to carry out the bill. This does not change the fact that the CBO estimates that the bill will result in $3 million in direct spending.…”