Consumer Law

Senator Saxby Lifts "Hold" on Cass Sunstein for OIRA Position

By Brian Wolfman

Quite a while back, President Obama nominated Cass Sunstein, a famous law professor, to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of Management and Budget. In the past, OIRA has had a lot of power over federal agencies' regulatory agendas. Sunstein's nomination stalled after Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia placed a "hold" on the nomination because Sunstein had supported animal rights and, specifically, the right of animals to sue (with humans as surrogates of course). Now, according to a news report, Chambliss has lifted his hold because Sunstein has pledged in a letter not to "'take any steps to promote litigation on behalf of animals' and agree[d] the law does not give animals ... rights. Sunstein in the letter also says he believes the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms."

Full post as published by CL&P Blog on July 20, 2009 (boomark / email).