To: Archaeology & Historic Preservation Community
From: Loretta Neumann
Subject: Another alert
CONGRESS ATTACHES REGULATORY "REFORM" TO DEBT LIMIT EXTENSION BILL
THe House and Senate have included on the Debt Limit Extension blil a
combination of Senator Bob Dole's regulatory reform bill (S. 343) and the
House-passed Contract with America version. The legislation would require
federal agencies to conduct complex risk assessments and cost benefit
analyses of all major regulations (including, for example, the regulations of
the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to implement Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act. ) It would supersede existing
environmental laws and regulations.
Senator Dole failed three times to get enough votes on the Senate floor to
bring up S.343 for consideration on its own. He obviously cut a deal with the
House to tag it onto the Debt Extension blil.
The " Walker amendment," which attached the regulatory provisions to the
debt extension bill, passed the House by a vote of 257-165. According to
OMB Watch, we picked up a number of votes against the amendment from
earlier this year when we only got 141 votes. The bill immediately went to
the Senate, which further modified the bill to strike the elimination of the
Commerce Department. The bill then went back to the House today, which
approved it 219-185. It now goes to the President.
According to the OMB Watch, the President assured several environmental
groups yesterday that he would veto the debt bill if extraneous riders, such
as the regulatory reform bill, were attached. If the President does veto the
bill, Congress has until next Wednesday, Nov. 15, to revise it and make it
acceptable to him. If there is no agreement between Congress and the
President, the country will for the first time ever default on its loan
obligations. The President pointed out that this would cause fluctuations in
the financial market, probably resulting in higher interest rates. It would
affect everyone, for example, with variable rate mortgages.
Now, it all comes down to the President. If he does veto the bill, there
needs to be strong support for him, especially if it causes the country to
default on its obligations.
To express your views to the White House, call (202) 456-1111.
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