Trump White House quietly issues report vindicating Obama regulations

[babylonsister]

Trump White House quietly issues report vindicating Obama regulations
It was easy to miss, but OMB demolishes the GOP’s deregulatory claims.
By David Roberts@[e-mail]
Mar 6, 2018, 9:30am EST

snip//

For instance, why would the Environmental Protection Agency close a program investigating the effects of toxins on children’s health? Is there some evidence that the money is wasted or poorly spent? Why would the EPA allow more unregulated disposal of toxic coal ash? Don’t people in coal regions deserve clean air and water? Is there any reason to think coal ash is currently well-regulated?

These questions barely come up anymore. Republicans oppose regulations because they are regulations; it’s become reflexive, both for the party and for the media the covers them.

As it happens, though, we know something about the costs and benefits of federal regulations. In fact, Trump’s own administration, specifically the (nonpartisan, at least for now) White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), just released its annual report on that very subject. (Hat tip to E&E.)

The report was released late on a Friday, with Congress out of session and multiple Trump scandals dominating the headlines. A cynical observer might conclude that the administration wanted the report to go unnoticed.

Why might that be? Well, in a nutshell, it shows that the GOP is wrong about regulations as a general matter and wrong about Obama’s regulations specifically. Those regulations had benefits far in excess of their costs, and they had no discernible effect on jobs or economic growth.

OMB, more like OMG, amirite?

OMB gathered data and analysis on “major” federal regulations (those with $100 million or more in economic impact) between 2006 and 2016, a period that includes all of Obama’s administration, stopping just short of Trump’s. The final tally, reported in 2001 dollars:

Aggregate benefits: $219 to $695 billion
Aggregate costs: $59 to $88 billion

By even the most conservative estimate, the benefits of Obama’s regulations wildly outweighed the costs.

According to OMB — and to the federal agencies upon whose data OMB mostly relied — the core of the Trumpian case against Obama regulations, arguably the organizing principle of Trump’s administration, is false.

more...

https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/3/6/17077330/trump-regulatory-agenda-omb

[Angry Dragon]

1. KICK for exposure............Kick for the TRUTH

[Beartracks]

2. Saving for later. Something to fwd to my conserva-peeps. n/t

==========

[Phoenix61]

3. I'm not surprised

Obama is a very smart man who is smart enough to know what he doesn't know. That allows him to ask people who do know. The fact he can read a chapter book doesn't hurt.

[Marcuse]

15. True. Trump thinks he is the smartest. If he does not know it, then nobody does.

As in nobody knew health care is complicated.

[pandr32]

4. Thanks for this

We need to get it out there.

[Ninga]

5. Yes! Nt

[groundloop]

6. "the organizing principle of Trumps administration, is false. "

I guess that statement goes in the No Shit Sherlock category, but hey, the more people that hear it the better.

[mountain grammy]

7. K & R

[SunSeeker]

8. K & R

[SeattleVet]

9. Link to .pdf of full report for those that want to wade through it...

This is still a draft; not sure what additional steps are needed for it to become final.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/draft_2017_cost_benefit_report.pdf

[gademocrat7]

10. K&R

[They_Live]

11. I like to refer to them as Protections instead of regulations

They protect our health and lives.

[nature-lover]

18. Exactly! We all need to use this term.

[They_Live]

24. Yes, control the viewpoint

and change the conversation. "You don't want to protect American families?"

[FakeNoose]

12. Just add this to the very long list

... of "Things to Hate Republicans For."

[PatrickforO]

21. You've got that list right.

They want pure capitalism without any government controls. Picture Rollerball with no penalties and no time limit.

[NewJeffCT]

13. this was also the same

for regulations implemented under Bill Clinton, if I recall.

[vkkv]

14. THANKS K&R !!

[smirkymonkey]

16. Who ever would have guessed?

[Wounded Bear]

17. K & R...for visibility...nt

[pansypoo53219]

19. don't matter the GOP is penny wise. see free birth control.

[PatrickforO]

20. No, no, I don't want no facts.

Rush says them are job killin' regulashuns.

[Cha]

22. Kick High for

President Obama

[dchill]

23. K&R.