Regulations

BE SMART ABOUT is our unfortunate series highlighting people in power or important topics you need to stay informed about so you can share this knowledge and together we can Be Smart and Actively Dissent.  Today we discuss the Office of the Inspector General.  You will not find this information on cable news and rarely in print media.  Inspector Generals play a crucial role in our government and society and have enormous significance to our nation yet they are under attack without any outcry.

In Smart Dissent's Budget Cuts Series, we are examining the White House proposed budget cuts to learn what's hidden beneath the surface and later update based on Congressional budget proposals and actions.  This post focuses on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) - the group that recently educated our citizens and elected representatives about how incredibly harmful the proposed Republican (non) healthcare legislation would be.  The CBO is the target of House Republicans -- we must Be Smart about it and Actively Dissent.

Why does the CBO matter?  What do they do?

Since the current Administation nominated Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, the question has not been 'if' but 'when' he would take action to enforce Federal laws contradicted by legalized recreational marijuana use laws in seven states and Washington DC.  Smart Dissent reported on this back in February 2017.

UPDATE TO OUR MAY 19, 2017 STORY BELOW:

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Sam Clovis, a climate change-denying conservative talk show host with no background in food or agriculture is expected to be named the USDA chief scientist.  Did we mention he's not a scientist?

The Trump administration is removing Endangered Species Act protections for Yellowstone grizzly bears, after more than 42 years on the endangered species list.

The Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service announced the delisting decision Thursday, which immediately drew rebukes... “We have to wait 60 days, but on the 61st day we will sue to stop the delisting,” said Matt Bishop, of the Western Environmental Law Center, a Montana-based nonprofit that intervenes on behalf of conservation groups, referring to the waiting period for filing a lawsuit.

Scott Pruitt has called for the dissolution of much of the EPA's authority yet now runs the Environmental Protection Agency.  He is a seasoned legal opponent of the agency and is unfortunately an effective tool for Trump's efforts to dismantle regulations on climate change and clean water and "get rid" of the agency.  In general, Pruitt and the administration are waging a war against science, safety, and common sense in order to benefit their favored corporate interests.

Five people, including the head of Michigan’s health department, were charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter in an investigation of Flint’s lead-contaminated water, all blamed in the death of an 85-year-old man who had Legionnaires’ disease.

Congressional Republicans are planning to go after more than a half dozen additional regulations in an attempt to significantly limit the ability of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to protect workers. Since 2015, federal contractors have had very significant violations of wage and hour laws and safety incidents over the past few years, and the regulations currently under attack were intended to curb these offenses and address health concerns causes by exposure to specific chemicals.

The  House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation to strip much of the financial regulations passed to prevent another 2008 financial crisis, commonly known at the Dodd-Frank Act.  The new bill aims to dismantle the powers of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the independent agency established under the Dodd Frank Act to protect consumers and investors.  It has saved Americans almost $12 billion since it was created six years ago.

The House passed the Financial CHOICE Act 233-186, along party lines. The bill is not expected to pass the Senate. 

Congressional Republicans have fought unrelentingly for years to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, put into place under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.  The purpose of the CFPB is to promote fairness and transparency for mortgages, credit cards, and other consumer financial products and services. The CFPB was created to provide a single point of accountability for enforcing federal consumer financial laws and protecting consumers in the financial marketplace.