New York Rep Reintroduces Midnight Rule Act

New York Representative Jerrold Nadler has reintroduced his Midnight Rule Act to be considered by members of congress. The Act would mandate that all regulatory changes made by the White House in the last three months must be approved by the incoming Cabinet secretaries. This would in effect help overturn the UIGEA.

Nadler commented: “As expected, the Bush Administration has, in its final moments, proposed a series of retrograde and dangerous regulatory changes. I am reintroducing the Midnight Rule Act to reverse President Bush's last minute attempts to weaken key legal protections within our federal agencies. We cannot sit idly by as this Administration quietly makes last-ditch efforts to erode civil liberties, empower polluting industries, threaten the environment and weaken a woman's right to choose."

To put it simply any last minute changes and law put in place over the last three months would be able to be changed if the new administration believes it needs to be changed. The UIGEA regulations would fall into the last minute category as the rules were finalized in November.

Congress would need to get the bill passed as soon as possible so Obama’s administration is able to review the last minute changes and revise them as needed. Other topics that would be up for review are abortion issues, FBI guidelines, weakened Interior Department regulations and mining company’s toxic waste issues.