by Gary D. Bass, OMB Watch Executive Director
Those who keep an eye on the federal government know the Bush administration is not friendly toward regulation — particularly health, safety, environmental, civil rights, and consumer protections. When they have been forced to regulate, Bush officials have advanced policies that mostly let the market control the game, while the idea of strong government intervention has been left to gather dust. However, even outside the recent regulatory takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, events show the administration is starting to kick things into high gear on regulations, trying to lock the next administration into a Bush legacy.

Recently, several organizations submitted public comments critical of a Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed rule to expand the power of state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate potential criminal activities and report the information to federal agencies. Many noted the proposal is unnecessary for public safety and a threat to free speech and association. DOJ claims the changes are necessary because the existing regulation on criminal investigation does not specifically mention terrorism or "material support thereof."

On Aug. 11, the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions in Columbus, OH, announced the creation of its Center for Transparent and Accountable Government. With the mission of promoting open government initiatives at the federal and state levels, the center is leading the effort in Ohio to provide access to state and local government information and enable user participation in government through its wiki.

A Commerce Department proposed rule governing fisheries management threatens to curb public participation in environmental reviews and give greater control to the fishing industry. The public comment period for the proposed rule ended on Aug. 12.