vandanaverdia
09-26 01:45 AM
It will be great to have everyone from WA & OR call in so that we can discuss & kickstart the fall campaign.
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neeidd
04-23 03:53 PM
Hi ,
There is a job opening at client place and job opening title is "JAVA DEVELOPER/SR JAVA ENGINEER" and the responsibilities includes coding Java. I do not have approved Labor certification with me but my Labor application (Signed copy by me) say Job Title as "Programmer/Analyst" and responsibilities includes
"Analyze, design and develop applications using C++, Java, J2EE and Oracle."
Could you please let me know if I can work on EAD for the above job position at the
client place using AC21? I prefer not to talk with client if the labor and client job
requirements does not match.
Thanks
There is a job opening at client place and job opening title is "JAVA DEVELOPER/SR JAVA ENGINEER" and the responsibilities includes coding Java. I do not have approved Labor certification with me but my Labor application (Signed copy by me) say Job Title as "Programmer/Analyst" and responsibilities includes
"Analyze, design and develop applications using C++, Java, J2EE and Oracle."
Could you please let me know if I can work on EAD for the above job position at the
client place using AC21? I prefer not to talk with client if the labor and client job
requirements does not match.
Thanks
ragz4u
05-30 08:28 AM
Thanks a ton to Prabir for helping us out with this article. Thanks also to Dave Williams for writing this excellent article.
Dave heard about us through our Washington Post article and had contacted us via email. Prabir, who is from that area, willingly agreed to speak to him about issues faced by Legal High-Skilled immigrants
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=32&url_subchannel_id=&url_article_id=15537&change_well_id=2
Dave heard about us through our Washington Post article and had contacted us via email. Prabir, who is from that area, willingly agreed to speak to him about issues faced by Legal High-Skilled immigrants
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=32&url_subchannel_id=&url_article_id=15537&change_well_id=2
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madooripraveen
03-20 03:50 PM
On mar 12th I got a query on I-485.
It says.
The Documentation submitted with your application and/or a review of service records indicate that you no longer reside in the same state or geographical location as the underlying form i-140 immigration petitioner and /or job location specified by your intended permanent employer.
There fore submit a currently dated letter from your original form I-140 employer which which address this discrepancy.
I filed my labor and I-140 I was in california, i moved to different state since I filed my 485, till now I am with the same employer.
Any gurus who can suggest me on the query would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
It says.
The Documentation submitted with your application and/or a review of service records indicate that you no longer reside in the same state or geographical location as the underlying form i-140 immigration petitioner and /or job location specified by your intended permanent employer.
There fore submit a currently dated letter from your original form I-140 employer which which address this discrepancy.
I filed my labor and I-140 I was in california, i moved to different state since I filed my 485, till now I am with the same employer.
Any gurus who can suggest me on the query would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
more...
ianblackwel
08-05 12:15 AM
Also i would like to know how many days it would take for labor clearence through the perm process.
Would appreciate if you provide a detail answer for the said process. Thanks.
Would appreciate if you provide a detail answer for the said process. Thanks.
Blog Feeds
03-22 12:20 PM
We still don't have the official summary of the Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill, but Senator Charles Schumer, the chair of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have written a joint op-ed piece that will appear in tomorrow morning's Washington Post that describes the major provisions of the CIR bill they will shortly introduce in the Senate. The bill will look similar to previous bills, but we now learn that it will have some new features. They include the introduction of the controversial new national identification card (a biometric social security card). The legalization program will now...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/03/schumer-and-graham-introduce-cir-to-the-public.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/03/schumer-and-graham-introduce-cir-to-the-public.html)
more...
Blog Feeds
06-09 02:10 PM
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJCDYPZxDGjMctY8r1E7c-nHgnhXOsB3Vg1fSdchoYDQ5NQaSeqvCd4txsWl4PevnV-nkJJsffeCpGDwNdfEm63fqXuuk8AU-7aq99-0EgPR897v6esl77IzL7waWe0eQZKBZWR3hZCVv/s200/abacus.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJCDYPZxDGjMctY8r1E7c-nHgnhXOsB3Vg1fSdchoYDQ5NQaSeqvCd4txsWl4PevnV-nkJJsffeCpGDwNdfEm63fqXuuk8AU-7aq99-0EgPR897v6esl77IzL7waWe0eQZKBZWR3hZCVv/s1600-h/abacus.jpg)
USCIS updated the H-1B cap count for Fiscal Year 2010. It now has 45,700 cases against the regular (non-Master's) H-1B cap. For more information, see the previous blog posts here (http://martinvisalaw.blogspot.com/2009/04/h-1b-count-now-at-44000.html)and here (http://martinvisalaw.blogspot.com/2009/04/h-1b-cap-may-not-have-been-reached-yet.html)
http://immigrationvoice.org//blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2893395975825897727-5975583509495150782?l=martinvisalaw.blogspot.com
More... (http://martinvisalaw.blogspot.com/2009/05/h-1b-cap-count-update-45700-now-used.html)
USCIS updated the H-1B cap count for Fiscal Year 2010. It now has 45,700 cases against the regular (non-Master's) H-1B cap. For more information, see the previous blog posts here (http://martinvisalaw.blogspot.com/2009/04/h-1b-count-now-at-44000.html)and here (http://martinvisalaw.blogspot.com/2009/04/h-1b-cap-may-not-have-been-reached-yet.html)
http://immigrationvoice.org//blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2893395975825897727-5975583509495150782?l=martinvisalaw.blogspot.com
More... (http://martinvisalaw.blogspot.com/2009/05/h-1b-cap-count-update-45700-now-used.html)
2010 Brad Paisley quot;I#39;m Still a Guyquot;
mangal
01-08 09:31 AM
CAN I FILE MY I-140 WHILE I M WAITING FOR MY H-1B RENEWAL(3YEARs).MY OLD H-1B IS ALREADY EXPIRED.
more...
brick2006
06-29 10:26 AM
Anyone know of any good GC lawyers in Chicago Land area...
I need a desi lawyer who knows that PD is portable...
please pass on the info..if you know of any!!!
rags99@hotmail.com
Raghu
I need a desi lawyer who knows that PD is portable...
please pass on the info..if you know of any!!!
rags99@hotmail.com
Raghu
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nath.exists
02-16 10:39 PM
Hi, I have a query regarding the opt to h1b process ,the answer means a lot to me.
I am getting my h1b filed through a desi consultancy in the coming april in premium category.I am on opt and it has its validity till jan 2009.I will be giving interviews for a couple of finance firms in may/june in which i will most likely get one.now my point is i know i can change my job to this new company in june/july since i am on opt .I will take my h1b papers with me but come october i will get into h1b status.will it be a problem for me to remain in the new company which i shifted to, do i have to get back to my old company till i get atleast two pay stubs on h1b or is there any way to continue working in my new fin company without any trouble.the pay slips which i would have got during the months before i shifted jobs will they be suffiecient to get my h1b transfered to the new company.
Gurus pls throw some light. it is really very important for me.
I am getting my h1b filed through a desi consultancy in the coming april in premium category.I am on opt and it has its validity till jan 2009.I will be giving interviews for a couple of finance firms in may/june in which i will most likely get one.now my point is i know i can change my job to this new company in june/july since i am on opt .I will take my h1b papers with me but come october i will get into h1b status.will it be a problem for me to remain in the new company which i shifted to, do i have to get back to my old company till i get atleast two pay stubs on h1b or is there any way to continue working in my new fin company without any trouble.the pay slips which i would have got during the months before i shifted jobs will they be suffiecient to get my h1b transfered to the new company.
Gurus pls throw some light. it is really very important for me.
more...
GCaspirations
10-16 06:38 PM
I recently got my EAD card. I intent to continue to work full time with my current employer. I want to work part time with another employer. My H1 is stamped and valid untill end of 2008.
If I use my EAD card for part-time job, does my H1 get invalid?
If yes, do I need to inform my fulltime employer about change in status?
If no, can I travel outside USA with the H1 visa for reentry?
Please help.
If I use my EAD card for part-time job, does my H1 get invalid?
If yes, do I need to inform my fulltime employer about change in status?
If no, can I travel outside USA with the H1 visa for reentry?
Please help.
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capwellcc
10-01 09:46 AM
This is probably a silly question but I have this really nice logo
designed in photoshop that I want to use in flash but the problem is that everytime that I import this picture to flash I get that white background the picture was saved with.
Does ANYBODY know how to get rid of this background so that I can just use the logo?
Thanks a million, SOMEONE help
designed in photoshop that I want to use in flash but the problem is that everytime that I import this picture to flash I get that white background the picture was saved with.
Does ANYBODY know how to get rid of this background so that I can just use the logo?
Thanks a million, SOMEONE help
more...
house Brad Paisley photo courtesy of
dealsnet
04-28 05:19 PM
I did send my wife's and my daughter's RFE in one package. But have separate cover lettter and folder. One packet is enough, clearly distiguish between two set of papers.
My wife and I got RFE on medical. Now I am sending response to RFE. Do I need to send the RFE response individually by FEDEX or Can I send both of us responses in one FEDEX package? Please advise. Thanks.
My wife and I got RFE on medical. Now I am sending response to RFE. Do I need to send the RFE response individually by FEDEX or Can I send both of us responses in one FEDEX package? Please advise. Thanks.
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kirupa
07-08 12:09 PM
Hey Jason,
You can't use lines, but you can use text instead. For a line, use an underscore _ or - or | or \ or / or >, and so on. for a circle, you can use an 'o'.
You can't use lines, but you can use text instead. For a line, use an underscore _ or - or | or \ or / or >, and so on. for a circle, you can use an 'o'.
more...
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Macaca
02-17 04:55 PM
Will post something 3.
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Blog Feeds
06-03 02:20 AM
What is a CAT? Not an animal, not a medical procedure, but a "Change of Attitude Transformation". The old INS may have morphed into the USCIS, the CBP and ICE, but the attitudes toward immigrants have not changed much since I worked there 30 years ago. As General Attorneys (Nationality) in the 1970s, our mantra was "when in doubt, send it out!" meaning that rather than recommend that a naturalization petition be granted, if we had the slightest degree of doubt, the safest course was to send the applicant's file to the investigations branch. Not to do so would risk...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/carlshusterman/2009/06/immigration-officers-in-need-of-a-cat.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/carlshusterman/2009/06/immigration-officers-in-need-of-a-cat.html)
more...
makeup Brad Paisley. 5th Gear
ashkrish
06-13 09:37 AM
Hello all, my Labor Cert was filed in late 2004 under the RIR regime. Was later "re-filed" under PERM in Oct. 2005. I am an EB-2 candidate (Indian citizen).
The DOL denied the application for Labor Certification filed under PERM recommending that the requirements for the position offered include the phrase " any suitable combination of education, training and experience is acceptable" The denial offers both the option of filing a motion to reconsider and refiling the application with the amended requirements. The law firm hired by my employer has filed a "motion to reconsider". In addition they are in the process of re-filing the application with the amended requirements. My question is-how quickly (from your experience) does the DOL take to respond to the motion to reconsider (my lawyers referenced a memo sent out earlier this year from the DOL in which a 3-4 month timeframe was mentioned).
Thanks
The DOL denied the application for Labor Certification filed under PERM recommending that the requirements for the position offered include the phrase " any suitable combination of education, training and experience is acceptable" The denial offers both the option of filing a motion to reconsider and refiling the application with the amended requirements. The law firm hired by my employer has filed a "motion to reconsider". In addition they are in the process of re-filing the application with the amended requirements. My question is-how quickly (from your experience) does the DOL take to respond to the motion to reconsider (my lawyers referenced a memo sent out earlier this year from the DOL in which a 3-4 month timeframe was mentioned).
Thanks
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roseball
09-26 12:17 PM
We filed a H4 to H1 Change of Status petition for my wife. The file was opened and processed by USCIS and a RFE was issued. Due to some family situation, we had to withdraw the H1 petition instead of replying to the RFE.
My question is: Is the security/anti-fraud fee ($1500) returned by USCIS in such cases. We applied through a big consulting company.
Thanks.
My question is: Is the security/anti-fraud fee ($1500) returned by USCIS in such cases. We applied through a big consulting company.
Thanks.
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desitechie
09-04 05:22 PM
Please help me with online address change for CA DMV:
My current license expires in May 2010. I moved recently. If I change my address using CA-DMV�s online change of address process, Will I be able to renew my driver license online during renewal time (feb 2010)?
Whats the process for updating the address of the vehicle so that vehicle registration renewal (expected in Jan 2010) comes to the new address?
Thanks
My current license expires in May 2010. I moved recently. If I change my address using CA-DMV�s online change of address process, Will I be able to renew my driver license online during renewal time (feb 2010)?
Whats the process for updating the address of the vehicle so that vehicle registration renewal (expected in Jan 2010) comes to the new address?
Thanks
GoneSouth
11-12 04:57 AM
Hi Folks,
Anyone have any experience with or knowledge about filing a 7th year H1-B extension per AC21 106(a) when labor certification was filed under PERM more than 365 days ago and the I-140 has NOT been filed / approved yet? There is a 12/27/2005 USCIS memo says "Guidance on this subject will be provided in a seperate memorandum", but then there is no seperate memorandum (that I could find).
My lawyers are telling me I can't file for a 7th year extension because I filed for LC under PERM, but after researching the matter, I am pretty sure they are mistaken. First, the language of AC21 states "the filing of a labor certification application on the alien�s behalf"... no distinction between ETA 750 (Traditional LC) or ETA 9089 (PERM). Furthermore, I've read various accounts on the web that state USCIS is in fact approving 7th year AC21 106(a) extensions based on PERM, but I haven't had anyone confirm that they actually did this or know first hand of someone who did.
Any help would be greatly appreciated !
- GS
Anyone have any experience with or knowledge about filing a 7th year H1-B extension per AC21 106(a) when labor certification was filed under PERM more than 365 days ago and the I-140 has NOT been filed / approved yet? There is a 12/27/2005 USCIS memo says "Guidance on this subject will be provided in a seperate memorandum", but then there is no seperate memorandum (that I could find).
My lawyers are telling me I can't file for a 7th year extension because I filed for LC under PERM, but after researching the matter, I am pretty sure they are mistaken. First, the language of AC21 states "the filing of a labor certification application on the alien�s behalf"... no distinction between ETA 750 (Traditional LC) or ETA 9089 (PERM). Furthermore, I've read various accounts on the web that state USCIS is in fact approving 7th year AC21 106(a) extensions based on PERM, but I haven't had anyone confirm that they actually did this or know first hand of someone who did.
Any help would be greatly appreciated !
- GS
Macaca
12-02 09:18 AM
Business Lobby Presses Agenda Before �08 Vote (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/washington/02lobby.html?hp) By ROBERT PEAR | NY Times, December 2, 2007
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 � Business lobbyists, nervously anticipating Democratic gains in next year�s elections, are racing to secure final approval for a wide range of health, safety, labor and economic rules, in the belief that they can get better deals from the Bush administration than from its successor.
Hoping to lock in policies backed by a pro-business administration, poultry farmers are seeking an exemption for the smelly fumes produced by tons of chicken manure. Businesses are lobbying the Bush administration to roll back rules that let employees take time off for family needs and medical problems. And electric power companies are pushing the government to relax pollution-control requirements.
�There�s a growing sense, a growing probability, that the next administration could be Democratic,� said Craig L. Fuller, executive vice president of Apco Worldwide, a lobbying and public relations firm, who was a White House official in the Reagan administration. �Corporate executives, trade associations and lobbying firms have begun to recalibrate their strategies.�
The Federal Register typically grows fat with regulations churned out in the final weeks of any administration. But the push for such rules has become unusually intense because of the possibility that Democrats in 2009 may consolidate control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives for the first time in 14 years.
Even as they try to shape pending regulations, business lobbies are also looking beyond President Bush. Corporations and trade associations are recruiting Democratic lobbyists. And lobbyists, expecting battles over taxes and health care in 2009, are pouring money into the campaigns of Democratic candidates for Congress and the White House.
Randel K. Johnson, a vice president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, said, �I am beefing up my staff, putting more money aside for economic analysis of regulations that I foresee coming out of a possible new Democratic administration.�
At the Transportation Department, trucking companies are trying to get final approval for a rule increasing the maximum number of hours commercial truck drivers can work. And automakers are trying to persuade officials to set new standards for the strength of car roofs � standards far less stringent than what consumer advocates say is needed to protect riders in a rollover.
Business groups generally argue that federal regulations are onerous and needlessly add costs that are passed on to consumers, while their opponents accuse them of trying to whittle down regulations that are vital to safety and quality of life. Documents on file at several agencies show that business groups have stepped up lobbying in recent months, as they try to help the Bush administration finish work on rules that have been hotly debated and, in some cases, litigated for years.
At the Interior Department, coal companies are lobbying for a regulation that would allow them to dump rock and dirt from mountaintop mining operations into nearby streams and valleys. It would be prohibitively expensive to haul away the material, they say, and there are no waste sites in the area. Luke Popovich, a vice president of the National Mining Association, said that a Democratic president was more likely to side with �the greens.�
A coalition of environmental groups has condemned the proposed rule, saying it would accelerate �the destruction of mountains, forests and streams throughout Appalachia.�
A priority for many employers in 2008 is to secure changes in the rules for family and medical leave. Under a 1993 law, people who work for a company with 50 or more employees are generally entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for newborn children or sick relatives or to tend to medical problems of their own. The Labor Department has signaled its interest in changes by soliciting public comments.
The National Association of Manufacturers said the law had been widely abused and had caused �a staggering loss of work hours� as employees took unscheduled, intermittent time off for health conditions that could not be verified. The use of such leave time tends to rise sharply before holiday weekends, on the day after Super Bowl Sunday and on the first day of the local hunting season, employers said.
Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, an advocacy group, said she was �very concerned that the Bush administration will issue new rules that cut back on family and medical leave for those who need it.�
That could be done, for example, by narrowing the definition of a �serious health condition� or by establishing stricter requirements for taking intermittent leave for chronic conditions that flare up unexpectedly.
The Chamber of Commerce is seeking such changes. �We want to get this done before the election,� Mr. Johnson said. �The next White House may be less hospitable to our position.�
Indeed, most of the Democratic candidates for president have offered proposals to expand the 1993 law, to provide paid leave and to cover millions of additional workers. Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut was a principal author of the law. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York says it has been �enormously successful.� And Senator Barack Obama of Illinois says that more generous family leave is an essential part of his plan to �reclaim the American dream.�
Susan E. Dudley, administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, said, �Research suggests that regulatory activity increases in the final year of an administration, regardless of party.�
Whoever becomes the next president, Democrat or Republican, will find that it is not so easy to make immediate and sweeping changes. The Supreme Court has held that a new president cannot arbitrarily revoke final regulations that already have the force of law. To undo such rules, a new administration must provide a compelling justification and go through a formal rule-making process, which can take months or years.
Within hours of taking office in 2001, Mr. Bush slammed the brakes on scores of regulations issued just before he took office, so his administration could review them. A study in the Wake Forest Law Review found that one-fifth of those �midnight regulations� were amended or repealed by the Bush administration, while four-fifths survived.
Some of the biggest battles now involve rules affecting the quality of air, water and soil.
The National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association have petitioned for an exemption from laws and rules that require them to report emissions of ammonia exceeding 100 pounds a day. They argue that �emissions from poultry houses pose little or no risk to public health� because the ammonia disperses quickly in the air.
Perdue Farms, one of the nation�s largest poultry producers, said that it was �essentially impossible to provide an accurate estimate of any ammonia releases,� and that a reporting requirement would place �an undue and useless burden� on farmers.
But environmental groups told the Bush administration that �ammonia emissions from poultry operations pose great risk to public health.� And, they noted, a federal judge in Kentucky has found that farmers discharge ammonia from their barns, into the environment, so it will not sicken or kill the chickens.
On another issue, the Environmental Protection Agency is drafting final rules that would allow utility companies to modify coal-fired power plants and increase their emissions without installing new pollution-control equipment.
The Edison Electric Institute, the lobby for power companies, said the companies needed regulatory relief to meet the growing demand for �safe, reliable and affordable electricity.�
But John D. Walke, director of the clean air program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the rules would be �the Bush administration�s parting gift to the utility industry.�
If Democrats gain seats in Congress or win the White House, that could pose problems for all-Republican lobbying firms like Barbour, Griffith & Rogers, whose founders include Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Loren Monroe, chief operating officer of the Barbour firm, said: �If the right person came along, we might hire a Democrat. And it�s quite possible we could team up in an alliance with a Democratic firm.�
Two executive recruiters, Ivan H. Adler of the McCormick Group and Nels B. Olson of Korn/Ferry International, said they had seen a growing demand for Democratic lobbyists. �It�s a bull market for Democrats, especially those who have worked for the Congressional leadership� or a powerful committee, Mr. Adler said.
Few industries have more cause for concern than drug companies, which have been a favorite target of Democrats. Republicans run the Washington offices of most major drug companies, and a former Republican House member, Billy Tauzin, is president of their trade association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
The association has hired three Democrats this year, so its lobbying team is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.
Loren B. Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute, a policy research organization, said: �Defense contractors have not only begun to prepare for the next administration. They have begun to shape it. They�ve met with Hillary Clinton and other candidates.�
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 � Business lobbyists, nervously anticipating Democratic gains in next year�s elections, are racing to secure final approval for a wide range of health, safety, labor and economic rules, in the belief that they can get better deals from the Bush administration than from its successor.
Hoping to lock in policies backed by a pro-business administration, poultry farmers are seeking an exemption for the smelly fumes produced by tons of chicken manure. Businesses are lobbying the Bush administration to roll back rules that let employees take time off for family needs and medical problems. And electric power companies are pushing the government to relax pollution-control requirements.
�There�s a growing sense, a growing probability, that the next administration could be Democratic,� said Craig L. Fuller, executive vice president of Apco Worldwide, a lobbying and public relations firm, who was a White House official in the Reagan administration. �Corporate executives, trade associations and lobbying firms have begun to recalibrate their strategies.�
The Federal Register typically grows fat with regulations churned out in the final weeks of any administration. But the push for such rules has become unusually intense because of the possibility that Democrats in 2009 may consolidate control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives for the first time in 14 years.
Even as they try to shape pending regulations, business lobbies are also looking beyond President Bush. Corporations and trade associations are recruiting Democratic lobbyists. And lobbyists, expecting battles over taxes and health care in 2009, are pouring money into the campaigns of Democratic candidates for Congress and the White House.
Randel K. Johnson, a vice president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, said, �I am beefing up my staff, putting more money aside for economic analysis of regulations that I foresee coming out of a possible new Democratic administration.�
At the Transportation Department, trucking companies are trying to get final approval for a rule increasing the maximum number of hours commercial truck drivers can work. And automakers are trying to persuade officials to set new standards for the strength of car roofs � standards far less stringent than what consumer advocates say is needed to protect riders in a rollover.
Business groups generally argue that federal regulations are onerous and needlessly add costs that are passed on to consumers, while their opponents accuse them of trying to whittle down regulations that are vital to safety and quality of life. Documents on file at several agencies show that business groups have stepped up lobbying in recent months, as they try to help the Bush administration finish work on rules that have been hotly debated and, in some cases, litigated for years.
At the Interior Department, coal companies are lobbying for a regulation that would allow them to dump rock and dirt from mountaintop mining operations into nearby streams and valleys. It would be prohibitively expensive to haul away the material, they say, and there are no waste sites in the area. Luke Popovich, a vice president of the National Mining Association, said that a Democratic president was more likely to side with �the greens.�
A coalition of environmental groups has condemned the proposed rule, saying it would accelerate �the destruction of mountains, forests and streams throughout Appalachia.�
A priority for many employers in 2008 is to secure changes in the rules for family and medical leave. Under a 1993 law, people who work for a company with 50 or more employees are generally entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for newborn children or sick relatives or to tend to medical problems of their own. The Labor Department has signaled its interest in changes by soliciting public comments.
The National Association of Manufacturers said the law had been widely abused and had caused �a staggering loss of work hours� as employees took unscheduled, intermittent time off for health conditions that could not be verified. The use of such leave time tends to rise sharply before holiday weekends, on the day after Super Bowl Sunday and on the first day of the local hunting season, employers said.
Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, an advocacy group, said she was �very concerned that the Bush administration will issue new rules that cut back on family and medical leave for those who need it.�
That could be done, for example, by narrowing the definition of a �serious health condition� or by establishing stricter requirements for taking intermittent leave for chronic conditions that flare up unexpectedly.
The Chamber of Commerce is seeking such changes. �We want to get this done before the election,� Mr. Johnson said. �The next White House may be less hospitable to our position.�
Indeed, most of the Democratic candidates for president have offered proposals to expand the 1993 law, to provide paid leave and to cover millions of additional workers. Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut was a principal author of the law. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York says it has been �enormously successful.� And Senator Barack Obama of Illinois says that more generous family leave is an essential part of his plan to �reclaim the American dream.�
Susan E. Dudley, administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, said, �Research suggests that regulatory activity increases in the final year of an administration, regardless of party.�
Whoever becomes the next president, Democrat or Republican, will find that it is not so easy to make immediate and sweeping changes. The Supreme Court has held that a new president cannot arbitrarily revoke final regulations that already have the force of law. To undo such rules, a new administration must provide a compelling justification and go through a formal rule-making process, which can take months or years.
Within hours of taking office in 2001, Mr. Bush slammed the brakes on scores of regulations issued just before he took office, so his administration could review them. A study in the Wake Forest Law Review found that one-fifth of those �midnight regulations� were amended or repealed by the Bush administration, while four-fifths survived.
Some of the biggest battles now involve rules affecting the quality of air, water and soil.
The National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association have petitioned for an exemption from laws and rules that require them to report emissions of ammonia exceeding 100 pounds a day. They argue that �emissions from poultry houses pose little or no risk to public health� because the ammonia disperses quickly in the air.
Perdue Farms, one of the nation�s largest poultry producers, said that it was �essentially impossible to provide an accurate estimate of any ammonia releases,� and that a reporting requirement would place �an undue and useless burden� on farmers.
But environmental groups told the Bush administration that �ammonia emissions from poultry operations pose great risk to public health.� And, they noted, a federal judge in Kentucky has found that farmers discharge ammonia from their barns, into the environment, so it will not sicken or kill the chickens.
On another issue, the Environmental Protection Agency is drafting final rules that would allow utility companies to modify coal-fired power plants and increase their emissions without installing new pollution-control equipment.
The Edison Electric Institute, the lobby for power companies, said the companies needed regulatory relief to meet the growing demand for �safe, reliable and affordable electricity.�
But John D. Walke, director of the clean air program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the rules would be �the Bush administration�s parting gift to the utility industry.�
If Democrats gain seats in Congress or win the White House, that could pose problems for all-Republican lobbying firms like Barbour, Griffith & Rogers, whose founders include Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Loren Monroe, chief operating officer of the Barbour firm, said: �If the right person came along, we might hire a Democrat. And it�s quite possible we could team up in an alliance with a Democratic firm.�
Two executive recruiters, Ivan H. Adler of the McCormick Group and Nels B. Olson of Korn/Ferry International, said they had seen a growing demand for Democratic lobbyists. �It�s a bull market for Democrats, especially those who have worked for the Congressional leadership� or a powerful committee, Mr. Adler said.
Few industries have more cause for concern than drug companies, which have been a favorite target of Democrats. Republicans run the Washington offices of most major drug companies, and a former Republican House member, Billy Tauzin, is president of their trade association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
The association has hired three Democrats this year, so its lobbying team is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.
Loren B. Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute, a policy research organization, said: �Defense contractors have not only begun to prepare for the next administration. They have begun to shape it. They�ve met with Hillary Clinton and other candidates.�
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