Lobbyist Tells of Graham's War on Health & Safety Regs

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John D. Graham founded the industry-funded Harvard Center for Risk Analysis that last week issued a whitewash report on mad cow risks in the US. Now Graham has a new government post at the Office of Management and Budget where he is leading the Bush administration's assault on environmental, health and safety regulations. The secret plotting between business lobbyists and Graham has even angered a lobbyist who leaked information to the Washington Post. The documents "provide another glimpse of behind-the-scenes strategy-setting by business lobbyists" such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable and the American Farm Bureau. "'This was a secret campaign to circumvent the process,' said the lobbyist, who asked not to be named. 'With Graham in that job, we figured we could get whatever we want.' "