President Bush busy working on regulations to prevent regulation of toxic substances

by Jay McDonough

The inauguration is exactly 50 days away.  On January 20th, Barack Obama becomes the 44th president of the United States and George W. Bush retires, reportedly returns to Texas and decides what he wants to do next.  But in the meantime, President Bush is busy tying up some loose ends before he's done (we know for sure he's not working on the economy).

The Labor Department is racing to complete a new rule, strenuously opposed by President-elect Barack Obama, that would make it much harder for the government to regulate toxic substances and hazardous chemicals to which workers are exposed on the job.

The rule, which has strong support from business groups, says that in assessing the risk from a particular substance, federal agencies should gather and analyze “industry-by-industry evidence” of employees’ exposure to it during their working lives. The proposal would, in many cases, add a step to the lengthy process of developing standards to protect workers’ health.

Public health officials and labor unions said the rule would delay needed protections for workers, resulting in additional deaths and illnesses.

The Labor Department proposal is one of about 20 highly contentious rules the Bush administration is planning to issue in its final weeks. The rules deal with issues as diverse as abortion, auto safety and the environment.  (Link)

While an incoming president may unilaterally reverse executive orders issued by the lame duck president, altering or revoking final regulations (as is the example here) is much more difficult.  In those instances, the new Administration must supply "a reasoned analysis" justifying changing the regulations. 

I had always presumed President Bush had some interest in how he would be viewed; what he would leave as his legacy.  But to spend the time, in the waning days of his administration, to implement regulations that provide hurdles to the removal of toxic substances from the workplace pretty much proves President Bush has absolutely zero interest in how history views his presidency.

Comments

[Zifnab]

He's so far down in the can its almost laughable to assume he cares. I mean, he cares. He wishes he could pull this shit and get away with it. But he doesn't care enough to actually change how he's acting.

Bush was a bought-and-paid-for President. Now the folks who put him in power are trying to squeeze every last dollar out of him that they can. These regulations won't last - Obama will have them overturned ASAP - and I'm betting the way they get thrown on the books at the last minute will leave them particularly exposed to repel by "reasoned analysis". Of course, that's where the Bush judges step in to bring up a host of court challenges. But we've got strong majorities in both houses of Congress and dozens of empty bench seats to fill with Obama appointees.

This is just a last minute effort to throw mud on the wall and see what sticks.

And Bush's legacy will be influenced by the dozens of wingnut pundits and historians who spend the rest of their careers glorifying his administration. 11th hour regulations will get perhaps a footnote in the history books, especially compared to the economy, two wars, and the collapse of his party.