March 2017 - page 3

Twelve million Americans could find themselves less secure in their housing situation, if President Trump’s budget is approved by Congress. Proposed cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could see 8 million people lose public housing, while an additional 4 million could see rental subsidies disappear, according to a report published Sunday by The Washington Post. The newspaper, which obtained the information in a “preliminary budget document,” said that overall outlined cuts to HUD would see the agency’s budget erode by $6…

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Donald Trump’s top environmental regulator said Thursday that he doesn’t believe carbon dioxide is the main factor changing the planet’s climate. Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt told CNBC that the cause for ongoing warming is still undetermined, when asked if the carbon emissions made up the “primary contributor” to ongoing planetary changes. “I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there’s tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact, so no, I would not agree…

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More legislation rolling back late Obama-era rules headed to President Trump’s desk this week, after they were approved by the Senate. Regulations that would have forced federal contractors to disclose wage and labor law violations going back three years now face the chopping block. So, too, do rules on land-planning that Republicans say would crowd-out the input of local and state governments. A resolution of disapproval on the contractor disclosure rule passed the Senate on Monday, while a similar procedure on the land regulation advanced…

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President Trump’s nominee to oversee major regulatory organs at the Department of Justice wasn’t prepared on Tuesday to defend one of his first executive orders on federal rulemaking—the “two-for-one” decree requiring two old regulations to be repealed before a new one is implemented. Rachel Brand, Trump’s pick to be Associate Attorney General, told Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that she wasn’t sure if the Jan. 30 order complies with federal law. “Any regulatory action taken by any agency of the government has to comply with the…

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Republicans in Congress introduced the American Health Care Act on Monday, drawing disappointment and disgust from several factions in Washington. Touted as the replacement to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the bill is being panned by Democrats who argue it will result in fewer people covered and higher out-of-pocket costs. More of a concern for Republican leadership, fellow conservatives are also deriding the legislation. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) described the proposal as “Obamacare Lite.” Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) called it “Obamacare 2.0.” The highly influential…

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The House of Representatives advanced two bills on Wednesday that would expand presidential influence over the federal rulemaking process. One piece of legislation would subject independent agency draft regulations to White House review—through the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Another would create a board, composed of presidential appointees, “to determine if a rule or set of rules should be repealed.” Both proposals advanced roughly along party lines through the Republican-controlled body. No less than a dozen members on both sides crossed the aisle…

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An Obama-era rule intended to protect waterways from run-off pollution was put on track for termination by the Trump administration on Tuesday, once again raising the specter that his administration is ridden by conflicts of interest. The “Waters of the United States” rule had long been a target of GOP politicos working at the behest of energy and agricultural interests that would be affected by the regulation. Its repeal was also heavily lobbied for by the golf course industry. The Trump Organization’s holdings include 12…

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