Senate panel backs Bush nominee for regulatory review post

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee voted 9-3 Wednesday to approve the nomination of John Graham, a Harvard professor nominated by President Bush for the Office of Management and Budget's key regulatory review post.

Sens. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., Richard Durbin, D-Ill. and Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., voted against Graham, whose emphasis on employing a cost-benefit analysis on regulation has been sharply criticized by environmental and consumer groups.

If approved by the full Senate, Graham would become administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the section of OMB responsible for reviewing new federal regulations.

The Natural Resources Defense Council denounced Graham as a "nightmare choice" who would favor business interests over environmental concerns and public health.

"It's doubtful he would be an even-handed judge of regulatory costs," NRDC's Wesley Warren said.

Durbin and Lieberman also questioned Graham's ability to set aside what they described as a bias against federal regulations revealed by Graham's statements as director of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.