Washington

GOP Controlling Washington Means It’s Christmas for Lobbyists | Opinion

Published

12 months ago

December 20, 2024

GOP Controlling Washington Means It’s Christmas for Lobbyists | Opinion

About 13,000 registered lobbyists plied their trade in Washington last year, at a total cost of more than $4.2 billion. Most represent industry groups ranging from the Chamber of Commerce to Big Pharma to Big Tech to oil, gas, and chemical producers. This holiday season, they have a golden opportunity to score big gifts for their clients and themselves through an obscure law only known to Washington insiders.

The Congressional Review Act allows a new lineup in the House, Senate, and Oval Office to repeal regulations issued during the last few months of the previous presidential administration with a simple majority vote (no filibuster) and a maximum of ten hours of floor debate (often much less). Historically, it has only really worked when Republicans take over the presidency, the House, and the Senate, and decide to destroy the work of a Democratic administration. The last time Donald Trump was president, Republican lawmakers eliminated 15 rules with little fuss and not much publicity.

The process is designed to allow Republican lawmakers, with almost no effort, to eliminate protections that took years to write. Prominent law firms and consultants are already working to sell lobbying campaigns to their clients. The law only applies to rules issued during the final 60 days that Congress is in session, and we don’t know when the House and Senate will adjourn. But this uncertainty is not stopping lobbyists from drumming up lucrative work.

This year’s list of rules to kill is chilling, targeting everything from pay increases for teachers at Head Start to limits on teenage smoking to drinking water purification. President-elect Donald Trump’s highly successful efforts to dominate the national news has so far masked these potentially destructive lobbying efforts.

Head Start provides early education for children from low-income families and focuses on their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Research shows that the program has produced great benefits for the children who are enrolled, preparing them for primary school where they would otherwise flounder. The program costs are modest, with funding of $12 billion last year.

The rule under attack was issued in August and would raise the salaries of Head Start teachers and improve their working conditions. Like Trump’s threatened Medicaid cuts, cancelling this rule would hurt people who need government help the most. Notably, the complete elimination of Head Start was among the radical proposals contained in the far-right Project 2025. Unknown industry players support this radical change to curry favor with the incoming administration.

Next up in the fight to shrink government is the age limit on buying cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The targeted rule raises the age from 18 to 21. The Food and Drug Administration’s apparent sin here was following congressional instructions set out in a 2019 law.

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 20: U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to members of the press after a Republican House Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on December 20, 2024 in…

Alex Wong/Getty Images

If this rule experiences a rapid death, many members may not realize the significance of reversing a decision they made a mere five years ago. Because manufacturers deliberately add addictive nicotine to cigarettes, people who start smoking in adolescence most often do not quit. Smoking during childhood causes severe health problems, including the onset of respiratory disease, decreased physical fitness, and problems with lung growth.

Other regulations under scrutiny include an Environmental Protection Agency rule that would require the replacement of an estimated 9.2 million lead water pipes serving older housing and distribution systems across the country. The CDC advises that no safe level of lead is known for children under six, who can suffer brain and kidney damage when exposed to even minute amounts of lead.

Methane is released into the air from a variety of sources including facilities that produce oil and natural gas. It is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in causing climate change and causes one-third of the warming produced by human emissions of greenhouse gases. A rule being targeted by oil and gas producers would impose a fee for excessive emissions, as required by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. In our hearts, most Americans have a sense that something is very wrong with the climate, as we watch drought, floods, and wildfires overcome communities across the country. If this rule is swept from the books and we take no further action to reduce emissions, conditions will grow intolerable.

Of course, one response to this prediction of doom and gloom is that when a majority of Americans become disgusted enough, they’ll elect different politicians who will resurrect the rules. But the Congressional Review Act has a wrinkle that is even more destructive than sweeping the rules into the garbage with no debate. It is commonly referred to inside the Washington Beltway as “salting the earth.”

Once a rule is killed, an agency is forever barred from writing a new rule that is “in substantially the same form” as the vetoed rule. The first rule killed under the act was an effort under the Clinton administration to prevent ergonomic injuries in a variety of jobs, from meatpacking to manufacturing to health care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 30 percent of injuries that caused employees to miss work were ergonomic injuries.

Ever since, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been too intimidated to try regulating this serious harm. Today we run the risk of other agencies being similarly deterred from making common-sense rules. Head Start may not get support for its teachers and other staff; teen smoking may increase; lead may remain in drinking water; and climate change may reach a breaking point unless and until Congress comes to its senses.

Rena Steinzor is professor emerita at the University of Maryland Carey Law School. James Goodwin is the policy director at the Center for Progressive Reform.

The views expressed in this article are the writers’ own.

Source link

Related Topics:Congress department of education donald trump environment Featured Government lobbyists public health regulation republicans Tobacco

Click to comment

Washington

FBI makes arrest in investigation into pipe bombs placed in DC on eve of Jan. 6 riot, AP source says – WTOP News

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Press Room

FBI makes arrest in investigation into pipe bombs placed in DC on eve of Jan. 6 riot, AP source says – WTOP News

The arrest marks the first time investigators have settled on a suspect in an act that had long vexed law enforcement, spawned a multitude of conspiracy theories and remained an enduring mystery in the shadow of the dark chapter of American history that is the violent Capitol siege.

FILE – Images from an FBI poster seeking a suspect who allegedly placed pipe bombs in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (FBI via AP, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI made an arrest on Thursday in its nearly 5-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The official who described the arrest was not authorized to publicly discuss a case that has not yet been made public and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The arrest took place Thursday morning, and the suspect is a man, the official said. No other details were immediately available, including the charges the man might face.

The pipe bombs were placed on the evening of Jan. 5, 2021, near the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees in the District of Columbia. Nobody was hurt before the bombs were rendered safe, but the FBI has said both devices could have been lethal.

In the years since, investigators have sought the public’s help in identifying a shadowy subject seen on surveillance camera even as they struggled to determine answers to basic questions, including the person’s gender and motive and whether the act had a clear connection to the riot at the Capitol a day later when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the building in a bid to halt the certification of the Republican’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Seeking a breakthrough, the FBI last January publicized additional information about the investigation, including an estimate that the suspect was about 5-foot-7, as well as previously unreleased video of the suspect placing one of the bombs.

The bureau had for years struggled to pinpoint a suspect despite hundreds of tips, a review of tens of thousands of video files and a significant number of interviews.

In the absence of harder evidence, Republican lawmakers and right-wing media outlets promoted conspiracy theories about the pipe bombs. House Republicans also criticized security lapses, questioning how law enforcement failed to detect the bombs for 17 hours. Dan Bongino, the current FBI deputy director, floated the possibility last year before being tapped for his job that the act was an “inside job” and involved a “massive cover-up.”

But since arriving at the FBI in March, he has sought to deliver action to a restive base on the far right by promising that the pipe bombs investigation would be a top priority and defending the bureau’s work.

“We brought in new personnel to take a look at the case, we flew in police officers and detectives working as TFOs (task force officers) to review FBI work, we conducted multiple internal reviews, held countless in person and SVTC meetings with investigative team members, we dramatically increased investigative resources, and we increased the public award for information in the case to utilize crowd-sourcing leads,” he wrote in a long post on X last month.

Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Source link

Washington

Trump’s name added to Institute of Peace building

Published

15 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Press Room

Trump’s name added to Institute of Peace building

President Donald Trump’s name was added to the United States Institute of Peace building in D.C. Wednesday.

The change comes amid an ongoing legal battle over whether the Trump administration can dismantle the institute.

A lawyer for former USIP leadership and staff condemned the addition, saying it “adds insult to injury.”

The administration released a statement, saying the institute blew millions per year “while delivering no peace.”

It went on to say the building is now “beautifully and aptly named after a President who ended 8 wars in less than a year.”

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Source link

Washington

Washington Spirit Names Haley Carter President of Soccer Operations, Promotes Nathan Minion to General Manager

Published

1 day ago

December 3, 2025

Press Room

Washington Spirit Names Haley Carter President of Soccer Operations, Promotes Nathan Minion to General Manager

Washington, D.C. (12/03/25) — The Washington Spirit today announced the appointment of Haley Carter as the club’s President of Soccer Operations, effective December 1. Alongside Carter’s appointment, the Spirit has promoted Nathan Minion to General Manager on a permanent basis.

As President of Soccer Operations, Carter will serve as the club’s senior sporting executive, responsible for defining and executing the long-term vision and strategic plan for the Spirit’s soccer operations. In this role, she will oversee technical, performance, and player development functions, working closely with ownership, and the NWSL to align strategy, culture, and resources for sustained success.

As General Manager, Minion will report to Carter and continue to manage the day-to-day execution of the club’s sporting strategy, leading roster construction, player transactions, and salary cap management to ensure competitive excellence on the field.

“Haley represents exactly the type of leader we want driving our soccer operations forward,” said Michele Kang, majority owner of the Washington Spirit and Founder & CEO of Kynisca. “She brings unique experience as a former NWSL player and proven executive with a clear commitment to elevating women’s soccer. This new role reflects our continued investment in the Spirit’s infrastructure, supporting Nate and his team as we build a sustainable, world-class soccer organization.”

Carter brings a rare combination of experience as a player, coach, and executive across the women’s game. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and serving as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, she played professionally as a goalkeeper for the Houston Dash in the NWSL. She went on to coach internationally with the Afghanistan Women’s National Team and the Antigua and Barbuda Women’s National Team, where her work earned recognition from FIFPro. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Soccer Operations for the Orlando Pride, overseeing technical and performance departments and helping guide the club through a period of competitive growth and stability.

“To be part of Michele’s vision to set a new global standard in women’s football was an opportunity I could not pass up,” said Carter. “What Michele is building is truly special – a player-first investment model focused on sustainability, innovation, and growth. Washington has such a rich history in the NWSL and one of the most passionate fan bases in the sport, and I’m excited to help shape the next chapter of that story.”

Under Kang’s ownership, the Spirit has entered a new era of growth and professionalization, setting club attendance and revenue records while expanding its investment in performance, player development, and fan experience. Carter and Minion will work closely with Head Coach Adrian Gonzalez and Sporting Director James Hocken to build on the Spirit’s successful 2025 season and further strengthen the club’s competitive foundation.

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012, and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Source link