WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- After one month in office, the Obama administration's regulatory czar has plunged headlong into upcoming federal rules controversies, government analysts said.
Howard Shelanski, the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, entered the fray on attempts to curb climate change and has defended the Obama administration's efforts to cut regulatory red tape, The Hill reported Sunday.
Shelanski, a lawyer and economist who worked previously at the Federal Trade commission and sworn into office on July 10, testified on behalf of the administration at several congressional hearings, met with labor and business organizations regarding new rules and has begun reaching out to inform the public on the White House's efforts.
Shelanski met with industry and labor advocates concerning important new regulations Obama has deemed critical to his second term agenda, including upcoming rules for carbon emissions in new power plants, which will certainly provoke a fight between the energy industry and environmentalists, the Hill reported.
Shelanski posted his first message Thursday on the White House blog supporting instituting a government-wide regulatory review.
"Review of existing regulations is a crucial part of ensuring that protecting our nation's health, safety, and environment remains consistent with creating jobs and prosperity," he said. "This administration will expand and further institutionalize our regulatory look-back efforts to ensure we continue to identify rules that need to be modified, streamlined, or repealed."
