David Cay Johnston: “The Senator, my friend from Connecticut, is one of the best lawyers in this body, and I consider him to be one of the…”

“The Senator, my friend from Connecticut, is one of the best lawyers in this body, and I consider him to be one of the best lawyers in the country. It is for that reason that I ask him, on page 25 of the bill, it contains language that says: A major rule may be adopted and may become effective without prior compliance with this subchapter if the agency, for good cause, finds that conducting a cost-benefit analysis is impractical due to an emergency or health or safety threat that is likely to result in significant harm to the public or natural resources. We have the same language over on page 49 that has to do with the risk assessment. So it covers both cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment, and the operative language is you do not have to comply with the chapter if there is a health or safety threat. Now, would the Senator not agree with me that the phrase 'health or safety threat' would encompass any of these problems such as E. coli, cryptosporidium, Ebola, flu, the common cold? It covers everything relating to a health or safety threat. Would not the Senator, my friend, agree with that?”