Chief of E.P.A. Says She Didn't Illegally Lobby (original) (raw)
U.S.|Chief of E.P.A. Says She Didn't Illegally Lobby
https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/05/us/chief-of-epa-says-she-didn-t-illegally-lobby.html
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- March 5, 1995
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The head of the Environmental Protection Agency denied a Congressman's accusation that she had illegally lobbied against legislation curtailing Federal regulations, calling the charge an effort to silence her during a crucial debate on whether to roll back health and environmental protections.
"We serve the public's right to know, in full compliance with all legal mandates, including lobbying restrictions," Administrator Carol M. Browner said in a letter on Friday to Representative David M. McIntosh, Republican of Indiana.
Mr. McIntosh, a newly elected member of Congress who previously worked on former Vice President Dan Quayle's antiregulation staff at the White House, had accused Ms. Browner of violating the law by disseminating fact sheets and press releases criticizing the regulatory restrictions. The legislation was approved by the House on Friday and is yet to be considered by the Senate.
Although there is a law prohibiting Federal agencies from spending funds in efforts to influence members of Congress on pending legislation, Mr. McIntosh's accusations in this case went well beyond the normal interpretation of what is permissible.
He accused Ms. Browner of breaking the law by doing things that have long been routine functions of officials in the executive branch, practices that lawyers in Republican and Democratic administrations alike have declared legal.
Ms. Browner said the Republicans were trying to roll back environmental protections without a full debate. She called Mr. McIntosh's accusation "another effort to deny the American people access to information about a debate and issues that are important to each and every one of them."
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