Congress is working toward passage of legislation that would expand the resources and regulatory authority of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The bill would also address the continuing problem of lead-contaminated children's products by effectively banning the heavy metal's presence in toys and other goods. Senior administration officials are working to derail the legislation.

In a disconcerting development, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is investigating its own watchdog, the Inspector General of the CIA. Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Kit Bond (R-MO), chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), and other members of Congress expressed concern that such an investigation compromises the independence and integrity of the CIA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

The Senate Intelligence Committee recently passed a bill that would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies involved in the National Security Agency's (NSA) warrantless wiretapping program. The same week, the House pulled a bill that would increase judicial oversight and accountability over the administration's surveillance efforts.

Three former Oral Roberts University (ORU) professors filed a lawsuit on Oct. 2 in Tulsa, OK, against the university, alleging they were wrongfully fired after they reported the private school's involvement in a local political race. They claim that ORU President Richard Roberts directed former government professor Tim Brooker to use his students and resources to support the 2005 mayoral campaign of Tulsa County Commissioner Randi Miller. This use of university resources would violate the institution's tax-exempt status.