Some things don’t change. The Bush administration has just 46 days before its time expires, but that isn’t stopping it from running roughshod over Congress in an effort to loosen environmental regulation. The Interior Department issued a new rule Thursday that prevents Congress from blocking the use of federal land for mining and drilling. The law, invoked just five times since its creation in 1976, was used this summer to place a moratorium on mining and drilling on lands near the Grand Canyon. (New York Times)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=172735