Constitutional Law

Lawmakers Mull Ways To Overturn Last-Minute Bush Regulations

Lawmakers in Congress are contemplating ways to nullify some of the last-minute regulations of the Bush administration. Lawmakers, such as Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), are looking specifically at Bush administration regulations loosening environmental standards, ones allowing firearms to be carried in federal parks and one allowing scores of health care providers to cite their religious beliefs for refusing to dispense medications and participate in medical procedures, such as abortions, The New York Times reports. Wyden and the other lawmakers are looking at legislation to overturn the regulations and a little-used federal law that would allow members to vote on a resolution disapproving of the recently enacted regulations. The newspaper notes that Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) is also considering a measure that would give new administrations greater ability to overturn regulations enacted by a previous administration.

Another Times article reports that President-elect Barack Obama has indicated that “he was unlikely to authorize a broad inquiry into Bush administration programs like domestic eavesdropping or the treatment of terrorism suspects.”

Late last week, ACS hosted a discussion on ways a new administration could alter course from the previous one. Video of the event, “The Mechanics of Quick Change,” is available here.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on January 12, 2009 (boomark / email).