House balks at White House grab for more authority over federal regulations

House balks at White House grab for more authority over federal regulations

www.nctimes.com

President Bush this month is giving an obscure White House office new powers over regulations affecting health, worker safety and the environment.

Calling it a power grab, Democrats running Congress are intent on stopping him.

"OIRA has quietly grown into the most powerful regulatory agency in Washington," the House Science investigations subcommittee, chaired by Miller, said in a report in April.

The administration contends Bush's order merely strengthens a similar directive.......

(visit the link for the full news article)

So what's the deal here?

Is this another example of a power-mad, out of control executive branch stepping all over the separation of powers in our federal government, or another example of a whiny, spineless, ineffective Congress stomping its foot crying foul when someone finally has to step in and do the job for them?

Or is it both of the above?

www.nctimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

So Bush wants to make the government prove that if it regulates something it'll have a positive effect. How horrid! Let's abolish the free market, the government always knows better!

Whatever you are calling the "free market" has a horrible record on

health, worker safety and the environment.

You might as well say, "Let the global corporate elite continue to exploit, disregard, and discard those whose labor provides their standard of living, as well as the very earth which supports it."

What Congress needs to do is get the FDA to finally jump out of the Big Pharm companies' pockets. Now the FDA wants to "regulate" everything that has even only remote connections to natural health practices.

Got a headache & need asprin? Tough! You'd have to get a doctor's prescription first.

It includes your normal, everyday, over-the-counter vitamin suppliments!
General Nutrition Centers, you know, herbal extracts & such? Either they'd need to get licensed as Pharmacies or shut down all business. So much for "Free Market," huh?

Yes, this would even include rocks: That's right, if you wanted to have a massage done with warmed-up rocks, the FDA would have it classified as "medical equipment" & prevent it from being used by anyone who doesn't have a license to practice medicine!

Reforming Health Care would have absolutely no positive effect unless the Government Agencies (& their current policies) get "reformed" first.

[edit on 6-7-2007 by MidnightDStroyer]