Statement by Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers on the Senate’s Confirmation of Howard Shelanski as Head of OIRA – National Consumers League
June 28, 2013
Contact: Ben Klein, NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org
Washington, DC-Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League, issued the following statement on the US Senate’s confirmation of Howard Shelanksi as Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget.
“OIRA has proven to be of critical importance to the health and welfare of consumers and workers.The Agency is tasked with reviewing rules proposed by federal Agencies and far too often, OIRA has locked up these important rules that protect both workers and consumers. To date, of the 139 rules under review at OIRA, 71 are well beyond the 90-day review limit imposed by Executive Order 12866. We are hopeful that the new Administrator, Howard Shelanski, will act in his new post to clear up this backlog and follow the law of underlying statutes under which regulations are reviewed.
“NCL calls upon Administrator Shelanski to bring life to what has become a calcified regulatory system. We are asking that he untangle and release the backlog of overdue regulations stuck at OIRA in violation of the required deadline for finishing reviews, and will work with other Administration officials to identify ways to help implement, among other acts, the silica rules, the backover regulations, rules on arsenic in juice and many other consumer and worker protection regulations. We stand ready to assist OIRA and Administrator Shelanski in the challenging tasks he has before him as the new Administrator of OIRA.”
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About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.
