OMB Mulls Proposal to OK Public Health Alerts
OMB officials considered a proposal this week that would give the agency greater control over declarations of public health crises. The agency has tabled the measure for now. "[Under the proposal] the White House would decide what and when the public would be told about outbreaks of contagions such as mad cow disease, an anthrax release by terrorists, a nuclear plant accident – or any other public health crisis. Additionally ... OMB wants to manage scientific and technical evaluations, also known as peer reviews, of all major government rules, plans, proposed regulations and pronouncements."