Bush Wants Sun to Set on Midnight Regulations

The Bush administration promises that as it leaves office in January, federal agencies won't make the usual last-minute rush to paper Washington with new regulations. White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten issued a May 9 memo outlining a disciplined exit to replace what could be called midnight madness. Except in extraordinary circumstances, regulations that agencies plan to put out should be proposed by June 1 and final rules issued by Nov. 1, he said. Bolten wrote that the administration needed to continue a "principled approach to regulation as we sprint to the finish, and resist the historical tendencies of administrations to increase regulatory activities in their final months." Critics of the administration interpret the directive as a move to shut down the regulatory apparatus early. Bush officials say it's merely an effort to ensure agencies have time to review rules and give the public a chance to comment. If the order is followed, it would be the first time since 1948 that there wouldn't be a significant jump in output in the days before the regulatory coach turns into a pumpkin, according to a study of the phenomenon.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/02/AR200806...
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