Bush Lame Duck Watch: Exodus Begins at the EPA

by Jonathan Singer, Mon Dec 11, 2006 at 02:54:49 PM EST

In the Bush administration there has been little stomach for taking responsibility for individuals' actions. With this in mind it should come as little surprise that the staff of the EPA, which has largely served as an arm of industry rather than protector of the environment, is getting ready to leave effectively en masse rather than face the prospect of actual oversight that digs into their actions. Bob Novak (consider the source...) has the story.

Facing two years of critical oversight from the Democratic-controlled Congress, Bush-appointed officials in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are making plans for a quick departure.

An investigative onslaught is expected from Rep. Henry Waxman of California as chairman of the Government Reform Committee and Rep. John Dingell of Michigan as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. They plan to probe corporate influence on EPA policy.

One can argue over whether President Bush is relevant anymore (I'd say he is, at least to a degree, because of Republicans' continuing embrace of his politics and policies) or whether he still has the capacity to affect American domestic policy (in my estimation he can do little outside of utilizing the veto stamp), but without a staff that is willing to continue to serve for the next two years it's going to be awfully difficult for him to even carry out the basic functions of government. And while I don't necessarily forsee the exodus expanding to also affect all of the agencies under the President's watch (largely because of the already present glut in the supply of conservative staffers in the market due to Republican losses in the Senate and the House), any brain drain will no doubt affect this administration more than others.

Tags: EPA, George W. Bush, lame duck (all tags)

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Re: Bush Lame Duck Watch: Exodus Begins at the EPA

No matter what the staff situation, the Bush administration can push through all sorts of nasty things at agencies like EPA now that there are few, if any, political constraints left.

As for the brain drain, that started years ago at EPA.  There are still some heads over there but no brains around that anyone here would want.  Talk about bad morale, it's been TERRIBLE at EPA since 2002.  I know 4 people who have left EPA in that period.

by howardpark 2006-12-11 03:52PM | 0 recs
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Re: Bush Lame Duck Watch: Exodus Begins at the EPA

you hit the nail on the head -- all those unemployed staffers are available.  since when did the bush administration appoint people actually qualified to do the job they're appointed to?  

ask a simple question ...

by karen marie 2006-12-11 04:13PM | 0 recs
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Correction

Jonathon said:

With this in mind it should come as little surprise that the staff of the EPA, which has largely served as an arm of industry rather than protector of the environment, is getting ready to leave effectively en masse rather than face the prospect of actual oversight that digs into their actions.

In the federal bureaucracy, "staff" usually refers to career civil servants. They are not the ones responsible for the actions of the Bush administration.

The political appointees such as the Administrator, the Deputy Administrator and the Assistant Administrators that head up the Regional Offices and the Offices of Air, Water, Solid Waste, etc. are the Bush-appointed officials Novak is referring to.

by Patrick Kennedy 2006-12-11 04:25PM | 0 recs
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Re: Correction

Everyone is responsible.  Things have changed. Your model of Public Administration is about 100 years old.  Things have changed.  The bureaucrats ARE responsible.

by howardpark 2006-12-11 06:51PM | 0 recs
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Re: Bush Lame Duck Watch: Exodus Begins at the EPA

but without a staff that is willing to continue to serve for the next two years it's going to be awfully difficult for him to even carry out the basic functions of government

Do you think Bush will be particularly bothered by the idea of the EPA no longer being able to function?

by Silent sound 2006-12-11 04:32PM | 0 recs
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Re: Bush Lame Duck Watch: Exodus Begins at the EPA

There is PLENTY of damage that Bush can do, and its already happening: Have you noticed how they're closing down many of the EPA resource libraries? This is an executive low blow, and there's not really anything the Democrats can do about it, is there? How can any environmental protection happen if they close the books?

Bob in HI

by Bob Schacht 2006-12-11 04:47PM | 0 recs
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Re: Bush Lame Duck Watch: Exodus Begins at the EPA

i think that they will all run and hide from the dems. the stocks of those company's will be affected /effected.

by BILL IN NJ 2006-12-11 07:00PM | 0 recs

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