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Pres. Barack Obama yesterday put all pending regulatory changes made in the waning months of the Bush administration on hold until he has a chance to review them.

Obama spokesperson Bill Burton told The Washington Post he's not sure how many regs are affected by the order. Former Bush official Susan Dudley of the Office of Management and Budget said the administration had issued 100 rules since November. But it’s not clear how many of them have already taken effect.

A spokesperson at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said today that one of the most controversial of the last-minute Bush measures took effect yesterday. That reg, known as the "right to conscience" rule, allows the government to withhold money from federally funded health care facilities that do not make allowances for workers who refuse on moral grounds to help administer certain procedures, such as abortions. Reproductive rights groups last week sued to block the reg from taking effect, charging that it's unlawful.  

Another rule allows federal regulators to ignore the potential carbon dioxide output of new coal-fired plants when considering applications for permission to build them. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesperson said the agency would clarify the status of that reg later today. 

In another last-minute move, Bush last week took the gray wolf off the list of endangered species in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Idaho and Montana, drawing jeers from enviros.

Image by Matthias Kotter via Wikimedia Commons

13 Comments

1. 1. tlinget 05:38 PM 1/21/09

   Isn't this a Science magazine? Confirms my suspicion that the articles here are policitically motivated.

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2. 2. CBeck 05:43 PM 1/21/09

   Scientists are citizens of this country, they get to be involved in politics, too - just like the religious folks get to be involved. Only difference - the churches get to influence politics tax-free.

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3. 3. hotblack 05:45 PM 1/21/09

   Bunch of garbage snuck in at the last minute because no one would let it stand at any other point in his presidency. Glad to hear the midnight resolutions are being gutted.

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4. 4. pblome 05:52 PM 1/21/09

   Many of these regulations are related to science...

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5. 5. bkurilko 07:55 PM 1/21/09

   "Another rule allows federal regulators to ignore the potential carbon dioxide output of new coal-fired plants when considering applications for permission to build them."
   
   How does that even make sense? Is he TRYING to destroy the world or something? Good riddance you POS.

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6. 6. LJF 08:32 PM 1/21/09

   How typical. Hide it ,lie about it , sneak it by.....Bush goes out still trying to impliment a scorched earth policy. Our earth.

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7. 7. LJF 08:35 PM 1/21/09

   How typically Bush. Hide it, lie about, sneak it by. Still trying to impliment a scorched earth policy right down to the wire. Good on Obama for refusing to let it get by unchallenged.

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8. 8. Homer Simpson in reply to CBeck 08:37 PM 1/21/09

   And the scientist get to pay taxes from their funds, from taxes. =)

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9. 9. Homer Simpson in reply to CBeck 08:40 PM 1/21/09

   And the scientist get to buy things with the taxpayer's money, and to influence in politics so it can keep his funds rolling.
   its all about the economy. Politics, Science, Religion.

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10. 10. batch 11:35 AM 1/22/09

    Midnight regulations should be banned. Any president had at least 4 years to propose, debate, amend, and implement those regulations. Why should they get to ignore due process in the last months of their administration?

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11. 11. BuckSkinMan in reply to tlinget 03:31 AM 1/23/09

    Eh, you seem at once to misunderstand the purpose of Scientific American magazine and to "miss" the fact that it was Bush and the Republicans who politicized scientific matters.
    
    Since the Regressive Right purposely and with premeditation launched attack after attack against any science, scientist or teacher they "disagreed with" - it was they, not the scientists or science publications who are to blame. Such attacks are misuse of government authority - just the kind the Republicans warned us about for 40 years. The only legitimate actions in this situation are those including SciAm's reporting on President Obama's counter attack. Which comes - not too soon to suit most of us who believe in Science as the savior of our species.
    
    Until such people as you abandon your subservience to those who suckered you with their failed ideology and acknowledge that; your "criticisms" can hardly be taken as anything but the rambling rants of a crank.

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12. 12. BuckSkinMan in reply to batch 03:32 AM 1/23/09

    Quite right. Thank you for bringing this up. :-)

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13. 13. BuckSkinMan in reply to bkurilko 11:55 AM 1/23/09

    The thing we must keep in mind is that it wasn't just president Bush who "committed some random irresponsible act" - his actions were backed by the Republican party and the Republicans in the House and Senate.
    
    Remember too that these people weren't just being "silly" - they believed and still believe that they were acting in the right. A significant number (in the millions) of voters still believe the same and cheered such measures. So Bush himself believed he was performing one last heroic act in the face of overwhelming opposition.
    
    At least Barak Obama and the Democrats have settled (for now) on actions based on scientific findings. It is our job to see that they continue using that standard.

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