by Richard Morrison
November 19, 2009
1. HEALTH
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announces
a cost estimate for major new health care legislation.
CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Senior Fellow Gregory
Conko on the bill’s deceiving
appearance:
“Although the Senate Democrats’
bill appears to do more than the House alternative to rein in health care
costs, looks can be deceiving. Like the earlier bill reported out of the Senate
Finance Committee, the only measures that could reduce the rate of growth in
health care costs are those that erect government barriers between patients and
their doctors, while jeopardizing long-term medical innovation.”
2. TECHNOLOGY
The Members of the House Commerce Committee hold a hearing
on online
consumer privacy.
CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews on what members
of Congress should
be focusing on:
“The real question that policymakers should be asking is not
whether competitive enterprise can offer strong privacy assurances, but rather,
will government allow it? If Congress wants to protect Americans’
privacy interests, its first priority should be reforming U.S. data
retention laws, the PATRIOT Act, and privacy protections regarding information
stored in the ‘cloud.’ Congress should also reject proposals that would
create a new national identification regime (REAL ID) and impose burdensome
requirements on telecom firms to retain customer data.”
3. SAFETY
A Senate committee approves
the nomination of David Michaels to head the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration.
CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Senior Attorney Hans
Bader on Michaels’ controversial
background:
“As I noted in a New York Times
story, Michaels’ appointment could ‘dramatically alter OSHA’s approach to
ensuring workplace safety.’ Michaels has been called ‘one the nation’s foremost
proponents of allowing junk science to be used in jackpot-justice lawsuits.’
Many business groups raised concerns about his nomination and extreme views.
Iain Murray notes that Michaels seeks to ban useful products from the workplace
based on imaginary risks. One newspaper calls Michaels ‘virulently
anti-business.’”
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