Little-Known Law May Let Dems Reverse Midnight Bush Regulations

[babylonsister]

Dems eye midnight regulations reversal

By ERIKA LOVLEY & RYAN GRIM | 11/12/08 4:44 AM EST



Congressional Democrats are eyeing a little-known, Clinton-era law as a way to reverse Bush administration midnight regulations — even ones that have already taken effect.

It’s a move that would undermine the White House’s attempt to finalize its energy and environmental regulations by November so that Barack Obama couldn’t undo them after he’s sworn in as the 44th president on Jan. 20.

“Fortunately, {the White House} made a mistake,” said a top Senate Democratic aide.

Last May, White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten instructed federal agency heads to make sure any new regulations were finalized by Nov. 1. The memo didn’t spell it out, but the thinking behind the directive was obvious. As Myron Ebell of the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute put it: “We’re not going to make the same mistakes the Clinton administration did.”

President Bill Clinton finalized regulations within 60 days of the 2001 inauguration, meaning Bush could come in and easily reverse them.

It could take Obama years to undo climate rules finalized more than 60 days before he takes office — the advantage the White House sought by getting them done by Nov. 1. But that strategy doesn’t account for the Congressional Review Act of 1996.

The law contains a clause determining that any regulation finalized within 60 days of congressional adjournment — Oct. 3, in this case — is considered to have been legally finalized on Jan. 15, 2009. The new Congress then has 60 days to review it and reverse it with a joint resolution that can’t be filibustered in the Senate.

In other words, any regulation finalized in the last half-year of the Bush administration could be wiped out with a simple party-line vote in the Democrat-controlled Congress.

more...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15530.html

[Atman]

1. Who will get the ball rolling? Harry "Pen of Steel" Reid or Nancy "Invertabrate" Pelosi?

Yeah...this will happen.

:eyes:

.

[babylonsister]

3. Things might be a lot different than what we've gotten used to.

The rethugs aren't going to have the numbers they had to push back over every last little thing. Plus, they've been demoralized by their prez and their party.

I can hope they do this instead of outright discounting it.

[bertman]

14. Yep, I hope Barack has the Center for Disease Control stockpiling vaccine for that plague

of spinal flexion that tends to hit Democrats when major legislation is introduced.

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. Sometimes I love little known laws....nt

[Froward69]

4. Good news!!!

[SpiralHawk]

5. "At least we're consistent. Smirk." - Commander AWOL Bush (R)

[Democat]

6. Reverse every last Bush order and erase him from US history books!

Bring back America, let's pretend Bush was never president.

[rhett o rick]

7. This would be a real test to flush out the DINO's. nm

[WhiteTara]

8. hoisted on their own petard

again! Thanks you creepy repukes. You thought you were getting over, now you can bend over.

[nilram]

16. and a very short petard, at that!

[wroberts189]

9. I knew there was a way .. DO IT !!!!! n/t

[dmr]

10. What a relief! I'm so happy to read this!

What a relief that this is in place to end the last minute disastrous influence this administration is afflicting upon our nation.

I'm not ashamed to tell you that these changes have been eating away at me. I've been fretting and wondering how we'd be able to correct them without a major issue made and then wasting time defending their reversals. I'm hoping that each and every change is caught within each Federal agency.

This little, yet huge law (size depends on how you think of it) is so full of common sense that it's almost hard to believe the government thought of it! But then, it did come out of a Democratic administration!

[riqster]

11. Saved by the Clenis!

That'll REALLY burn the Reeps' collective ass, that will.

[babylonsister]

12. Turley on KO now explaining this, 7:22pmCT. nt

[buddysmellgood]

13. Now that could be fun!

[Lex]

15. Democratic Congress to President Bush:

[BigBearJohn]

17. Thanks for posting this Babs. This is GREAT news. K/R!!

:hi: