From Reuters: WHouse stops pending Bush regulations for review
First, about the weapons in national parks thing, I know someone going to come along and start up the usual whine about "self-defense" and "ouitlaws with guns", but it's pointless - there's no reason to carry a gun in a national park. Aside from the usual hazards of nature, they're relatively safe, and the main reason people would even carry a gun into a place like that would be to illegally hunt.
The meat of the program here, though, is the second part - cutting off federal funds to medical facilities if they punish doctors and/or nurses who refuse to perform their duties due to religious bigotry (and yes, that's what it is). Nothing like giving people free reign to not do their jobs 'cause God tells them not to, eh, Dubby? Man, it's just another reason I'm glad that smirking asshole is gone.
It's a long road to fixing everything, and Obama won't be able to do it all even if he gets elected to a second term. But this is a good start.
President Barack Obama's new administration ordered all federal agencies and departments on Tuesday to stop any pending regulations until they can be reviewed by incoming staff, halting last-minute Bush orders in their tracks.This isn't anything new, but kudos to President Obama for following in the footsteps of those before him on this.
(...)
Controversial late rules by the outgoing Bush administration include allowing the carrying of concealed weapons in some national parks and prohibiting medical facilities from receiving federal money for discriminating against doctors and nurses who refuse to assist with abortions or dispense contraceptives based on religious grounds.
First, about the weapons in national parks thing, I know someone going to come along and start up the usual whine about "self-defense" and "ouitlaws with guns", but it's pointless - there's no reason to carry a gun in a national park. Aside from the usual hazards of nature, they're relatively safe, and the main reason people would even carry a gun into a place like that would be to illegally hunt.
The meat of the program here, though, is the second part - cutting off federal funds to medical facilities if they punish doctors and/or nurses who refuse to perform their duties due to religious bigotry (and yes, that's what it is). Nothing like giving people free reign to not do their jobs 'cause God tells them not to, eh, Dubby? Man, it's just another reason I'm glad that smirking asshole is gone.
It's a long road to fixing everything, and Obama won't be able to do it all even if he gets elected to a second term. But this is a good start.
