Yesterday Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson and the White House announced that the administration would enact a new federal rule that protects the privacy of medical information. Proposed in the waning days of the Clinton administration, the rule grants patients full access to their own medical records and requires health care providers to obtain permission before disclosing...
In one of his first official acts as President, George W. Bush announced yesterday his intentions to block funding of international organizations and clinics that offer abortion procedures or counseling. President Clinton had signed an executive order authorizing such funding three days after taking office in 1992. Bush's action will reinstate the ban on such funding that had been in place up to...
Tomorrow at noon, George W. Bush will take the oath of office and become the 43rd President of the United States. After eight rather eventful years, the Republicans have retaken the Oval Office and retained, though just barely, their majorities in the House and Senate. President-elect Bush promised that he would bring bipartisan cooperation and a more civil tone to Washington, but some skeptics...
Eric Schaeffer, the Director of Regulatory Enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), resigned recently, citing "frustration about the fate of [the EPA's] enforcement actions against power companies that have violated the Clean Air Act." An EPA employee for twelve years, Mr. Schaeffer accused the White House of being "determined to weaken the rules [the EPA] is trying to enforce."...
Created by congressional legislation and President George W. Bush near the end of 2002, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States is an independent bipartisan commission that was chartered to prepare a "full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks." This authoritative site provides biographical information about the...
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) offers The Bush Record -- "the real story on this administration's dealing on environmental issues, from NRDC's scientists, lawyers, and policy experts." The main Web page highlights the administration's most recent actions. Readers may also access related reports, search The Bush Record by date, and find out how to get involved with the NRDC's efforts...
Released on May 17, 2001, this much-anticipated (and much-leaked) report lays out the Bush Administration's proposed national energy policy. The 163-page report contains over 100 recommendations, including the construction of over 1,300 new power plants, new oil and gas exploration and drilling (including in part of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), and the increased use of nuclear power....
Yesterday the US Senate overwhelmingly passed the President's education overhaul bill, the first major reform of national education policy in 35 years. While the bill passed with a 91-8 vote, it contains elements that are sure to raise hackles on both sides fo the political divide. First, the Senate bill authorizes $33 billion in spending for the coming fiscal year. The House bill puts aside...
A ruling is expected today from the US Supreme Court on Governor Bush's challenge to the Florida Supreme Court's ruling last Friday calling for an immediate manual recount of all "undervotes" in Florida counties in the Presidential election. On Saturday, the high court granted a stay by a 5-4 vote to the Governor that stopped the recount pending a decision by the court. In an unusual move for a...