Merry Christmas from Santa Bush

Despite voters' overwhelming rejection of Republican ideology in the 2008 election, the GOP is using the waning days of the Bush administration to ram a host of harmful regulations down our throats. These last-minute regulations are not subject to any oversight -- they will be completely legal once Bush signs off on them -- and will have lasting detrimental effects upon our health care, environment, civil liberties, and labor practices.

When given the opportunity to be "naughty or nice" this holiday season, Bush has clearly opted to go down as one of the naughtiest, most sinister presidents in our nation's history. Just watch as Bush crafts his destructive last-minute plans for our country in this humorous take on The Night Before Christmas.

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Let them know the harm President Bush's midnight regulations would cause. And stress the fact that there are far too many congressional representatives who have remained silent while Bush pushes midnight regulations that will wreak havoc on the lives of their constituents and local communities. We have highlighted eight members of Congress in particular who should be outraged by these regulations but have yet to say a word. We must call the tacit approval of these representatives into question now, before it's too late.

For more on Bush's midnight regulations, check out the rundown of midnight regulations at ProPublica, and the article "Bush's Backward Sprint to the Finish" at Think Progress and "Bush's Final FU" at Rolling Stone.

Senator David Vitter (LA)

The GOP is trying to make it easier for factories to emit lead into the air. This is bad for all Americans, but it is particularly dangerous for people who live in Cancer Alley, Louisiana. While Cancer Alley is not an officially recognized locality, the predominance of chemical spewing factories along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, along with a corresponding spike in ailments for people who live there, is real enough. In one small Louisiana town, three cases of rhabdomyosarcoma were reported in a 14 month period. Rhabdomyosrcoma is an extremely rare and devastating childhood cancer that occurs nationally in one in one million children. One can only wonder why Senator David Vitter has yet to come out and say that emitting more lead in Cancer Alley probably isn't the best idea.

Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (MN: 06)

Congresswoman Bachmann claims to be a champion of family values and a staunch supporter of women in need. Yet she remains mum regarding a GOP regulation that would limit aid for families benefiting from Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF). As we weather the economic storm, people in Bachmann's district will depend upon government assistance to care for their families. Will Michelle Bachmann continue to fight for Minnesota’s families, or is it Party before values.

Congressman Lee Terry (NE: 02)

Like most states, Nebraska is struggling to fund its health care infrastructure adequately. Omaha is home to many of the state's public medical facilities, which rely in large part on funds from Medicare. A proposed regulation would slash Medicare payments for Omaha hospitals. If Congressman Terry were representing his constituents, he would fight to make sure they had continued access to important and cost-effective outpatient services. So far, he hasn't said a word.

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL: 25)

One in five of Congressman Diaz-Balart's constituents has some sort of disability. So when his Grand Old Party is trying to institute a labor rule limiting employee access to medical and family leave time, one would think the Congressman would object. The reality is he has yet to show votes in favor of families and individuals in his district. He has voted against expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. He also voted against allowing the government to negotiate directly with drug-makers in order to lower prescription drug prices for individuals using Medicare. Rep. Diaz-Balart should repudiate publicly Bush's attempt to limit employee access to medical and family leave time, but if his past indifference toward his constituents is any indication, you can bet he won't.

Senator George Voinovich (OH)

The GOP is trying to limit the amount of time seniors can spend in federal work programs. As the economy tanks, and Ohio's population grows older by the minute, you'd think that Senator Voinovich would be valiantly defending a dignified method for seniors to avoid sinking into poverty -- but he isn't. Sen. Voinovich prides himself of working in bipartisan fashion, but by remaining silent on this detrimental regulation, Sen. Voinovich shows his true colors.

Congressman David Reichert (WA: 08)

"Dave is committed to improving our health care system to provide affordable, better quality health care for children, families, seniors, and individuals." Note that this quote from Congressman Reichert's website omits 'women.' A proposed regulation would drastically expand the ill-conceived 'conscience objection' for health care workers. If it goes into effect, the regulation would have disastrous effects upon women's health care, and in many cases would leave low-income women with nowhere to turn. Rep. Reichert's silence on this issue reveals his extreme position on women's health.

Congressman David Dreier (CA: 26)

Water is a priority issue for Congressman Dreier. One of the midnight regulations would discontinue the EPA's monitoring of a water contaminant called perchlorate. A chemical used in rocket fuel and explosives, perchlorate has been linked to thyroid problems in children, pregnant women, and newborns. The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory is not only in Rep. Dreier's district, it is a superfund cleanup site which has a history of water contamination from -- wait for it -- perchlorate. Where is Congressman Dreier's concern for his constituents' water now?

Congressman Frank Wolf (VA: 10)

Congressman Wolf wants his constituents to think he is on the front lines of finding a solution for the impending crisis around social security. Most experts point to increasing individual retirement savings as a necessary component of any longterm solution. But the recent stock market nose-dive has cost investors billions, crippling if not wiping out many families' retirement savings. It stands to reason that a necessary first step to addressing the social security crisis is addressing the corruption on Wall Street, but Congressman Wolf has been oddly quiet as his party tries to stipulate quietly that there is nothing wrong with people who advise investors, lining their pockets with money from the investments they advocate.

Has Bush been naughty or nice this holiday season?
Tell us what you think of his midnight regulations.