Hired anti-government regulators. Almost ready. Who are they?
(My Lips Are
Sealed)
When
President Trump ordered federal agencies to form teams to
dismantle government regulations, the Transportation Department turned to
people with deep industry ties.
Examples are lingering
and coming clearer:
1. One appointee had previously lobbied the
department on behalf of American Airlines.
2. Another held executive roles for several
electric and hybrid car companies regulated by the department.
3. A third was a lawyer who represented United
Airlines in regulatory matters.
The Trump
administration is and has stacked the teams with political appointees, some of
whom may be reviewing rules their former employers sought to weaken or kill. A
full vetting of industry connections has been difficult because some agencies
have declined to provide information about the appointees — not even their
names.
Since the
publication, news organizations have identified more than a dozen other
appointees through interviews, public records and reader tips — including the
three appointees to the deregulation team at the Transportation Department.
In
all, there are now 85 known current and former team members, including 34 with
potential conflicts.
NOTE: At least two of the appointees may be
positioned to profit if certain regulations are undone and at least four were
registered to lobby the agencies they now work for.
Significant:
1. One Transportation Department appointee: Daniel Elwell, was previously a top lobbyist for
American Airlines who sought to influence the Transportation Department.
2. Another Transportation appointee: Marianne McInerney, was president of a trade
group representing car dealers. She also held executive positions at several
electric and hybrid automotive companies.
3. A third Transportation appointee: Jonathan Moss, was previously managing director
of international and regulatory affairs at United Airlines.
The
deregulation teams are part of Trump’s push to cut red tape across government,
and they have presented a new avenue for industries to shed rules they have
argued for years are hurting profits, depressing job creation and raising
prices.
Environmental,
consumer and other liberal groups have argued that such regulations protect the
public, keeping drinking water clean and roads safe, for example.
In the
recent past, presidents from both parties have entered office pledging to
scrutinize regulations, but Trump’s order goes further, putting a premium on
cutting rules and empowering teams of political appointees who are typically
less wedded to an agency’s existing guidelines. The agencies have also been
opaque about their deregulation teams.
Note: The DOJ has released the names of
only two appointees currently working on its team. In an email exchange, a
spokesman, Ian Prior, said he could not provide additional names because “the
Task Force is made up of components, not particular employees,” adding: “A
component may have multiple employees assisting with the work.”
When asked
if he could name any of those employees, he responded: “Decline.” DOD and DHS
provided only the titles for most appointees to their review teams, but not the
names.
DEMS in Congress
Responded with Letter to the White House: “It is unacceptable for
federal agencies to operate in such a clandestine and unaccountable manner
especially when the result could be the undoing of critical public health and
safety protections.”
The letter was signed by Reps. Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, John Conyers Jr. of Michigan,
Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia, and David Cicilline of Rhode Island.
They cited a
recent investigation by ProPublica and the NY Times revealing
that members of the deregulation teams have included lawyers who represented
businesses in cases against government regulators, staff members of political
dark money groups and employees of industry-funded organizations opposed to
environmental rules.
In their letter to the White House,
the Democratic lawmakers suggested that with holding names could violate the
Freedom of Information Act, saying in part:
“These Task
Forces must have an effective and transparent guard against conflicts of
interest, especially those in which industry lobbyists seek to overturn
environmental and health protections for financial gain.”
Those
members are the ranking on the House’s Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform; Committee on the Judiciary; Subcommittee on Government Operations; and
Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law.
Their letter concluded: “It appears that the current Task
Forces are already failing on this front, and instead are actively hiding their
members and their meetings from public view.”
Also, Note: The Reps’ letter was addressed to
Mick Mulvaney, Director of OMB, and to Neomi Rao, the Administrator of the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which vets regulatory changes
coming out of federal agencies.
I
conclude:
Who in the world hires
lobbyists and those who worked against government oversight and accountability
regarding public safety and health to serve in government agencies they railed
against?
Oh, easy answer: The Trump administration.
Thanks for
stopping by – this is a critical issue.
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