Tucked away in the 2,000-page budget plan passed last week by both houses of Congress are three short sentences that could eliminate every federal program that protects public health, the environment, investors, worker's rights and many more.
As described by journalist Osha Gray Davidson in the April 21st Rolling Stone, a proposed "Sunset Commission" could enable the president to eliminate any agency he dislikes -- leaving the American people at the mercy of big business.
The driving force behind the Sunset Commission is President Bush's four-year Yale roommate and close friend, Clay Johnson.
As governor of Texas, Bush put Johnson in charge of all state appointments. With this authority, Johnson promptly removed all three members of the state environmental protection commission and replaced them with a former Monsanto executive, an official with the Texas Beef Council and a lawyer for the oil industry.
Now, as deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, Johnson has implemented a system to evaluate federal programs and cut funding to those "not getting results."
This year's budget however, gets rid of 20% of the programs actually rated most effective (involving environment and education) -- and increases funding for programs rated lowest (such as an effort to reduce the number of poor people claiming a low-income tax credit).
With the votes of just five of its eight members, the Sunset Commission could enable the president to eliminate entire programs that protect citizens from injury and death, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Traffic Safety Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The origins of the Sunset Commission idea go back to Wendy Gramm, the wife of former Texas Senator Phil Gramm. As a senior official in the Reagan administration, Gramm teamed with executives of the Enron corporation to enact a measure exempting from regulation companies that trade in energy derivatives.
Gramm then resigned her post and accepted a seat on the Enron board of directors, where she was paid $1.85 million. How much Enron enjoyed Gramm's legacy is now history.
While the White House appears understandably confident about gaining Congressional approval for its Sunset Commission, at least one member is sounding the alarm.
"Under the administration's proposal, Congress would relinquish its constitutional power to legislate," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA). "Power would be consolidated in the executive branch and the legislative role would be emasculated."
This story is drawn from an article by Osha Gray Davidson in the April 21st edition of the Rolling Stone.
