Taking The Hill
By Stephen McDonald
Election News
After two elections that sought to upset Washington's balance of power, voters went to the polls last November and opted emphatically for the status quo. For the first time, the United States voted simultaneously to elect a Democratic president and a Republican Congress. Fifteen new senators will be coming to Washington -- nine Republicans and six Democrats. The House will be more closely divided than it has been since the Eisenhower administration. With some seats still to be officially awarded, the Republican majority will have at least 225 members. We predict that the balance of power could rest with a coalition of conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans.
Republican Regulatory Agenda
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives announced that they will abandon plans to push major legislation to revise and curtail federal regulations, in favor of more narrowly focused bills that address specific aspects of the regulatory process. Sweeping overhaul of federal regulations was a major component of the Republican "Contract With America" in the last Congress and created controversy within the majority party. A pro-environment agenda became a rallying point for many Democrats who ran for House seats in the November 1996 elections. This announcement will likely not preclude legislative action to amend provisions contained in the 1990 Clean Air Act.
Design Right Proposal
The European Union's (EU) Council of Ministers is considering a proposal that would require EU member states to establish a design protection regime within their borders. The proposal contains a repair clause that would allow repair parts producers to use protected designs to make repair parts, including automotive crash parts, as long as the parts producer paid "reasonable remuneration" to the design right holder. The proposal is strongly opposed by the auto companies. The council is also considering deleting the repair clause and replacing it with a provision that would permit each member state to decide for itself how to treat replacement parts of complex designs.
Hazardous Waste Recycling Review
In accordance with the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) are reviewing options for amending regulations governing hazardous waste recycling. The purpose of the review is to develop a clearer and simpler regulatory system for hazardous waste recycling that adequately protects human health and the environment, and removes disincentives for the safe recycling of hazardous waste. The current hazardous waste
recycling regulations were promulgated in 1985. Since then, the regulations have been criticized for being too complex and for actually creating barriers to hazardous waste recycling.ASA Main Page || AutoInc. Main Page
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AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLV No. 1, January 1997