Democrats Decry EPA Ads on Bill (Cite Anti-Lobbying Laws)

[Khephra]

By Eric Pianin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 15, 2003; Page A10


House Democrats charged yesterday that the Environmental Protection Agency misused public funds to promote the Bush administration's premier clean air legislation in Spanish-language media and may have violated federal anti-lobbying laws.

The EPA recently began running Spanish-language public service commercials on the Hispanic Radio Network boosting the administration's "Clear Skies" legislation, which is pending in Congress. On Sept. 30, the EPA bought a full-page ad in a new Spanish-language newspaper published by the Dallas Morning News. The ad promised "cleaner air, better health, a brighter future for the United States" under the legislation.

The campaign was launched to coincide with National Hispanic Heritage Month, EPA spokeswoman Lisa Harrison said, and is meant to help "educate and inform" people about key environmental issues. She denied that the agency violated federal laws.

In a letter to acting EPA Administrator Marianne L. Horinko, Democratic Reps. Henry A. Waxman (Calif.), John D. Dingell (Mich) and David R. Obey (Wis.) said the government advertising was designed to influence millions of people about the pending bill.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26595-2003Oct14.html