The GOP and the GAO; the real gatekeepers. The former saying OSHA cannot receive funds for the Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2), and the latter, the General Accounting Office, (GAO) having two investigations of OSHA from both the Republican and Democratic Isles. The Republicans want to know the effectiveness of OSHA enforcement; the Democrats want to know why it takes so long to issue OSHA standards. In both cases, these two, above any other, should know that procedures for dotting the I's and crossing the T's, double checking, cross referencing, providing time to receive public and professionally competent input, allowing for governmental lag, and then finally, allowing time to coincide the proposed standard’s coverage with administrative and fiscal policy all need to coincide. Additionally meetings and agreements behind the scenes, political lobbyists and industry spokespeople who continually spin the subject to sway decisions in favor of the interested industry continue up too and perhaps may even delay the process! Members of the political process, above all others, should understand the punts and blocks that inhibit implementing a standard! And indeed, there is no doubt much more to mystery we will never know! Nothing concerning policy, standards, and laws in our society is easy to pass if we maintain our democratic and legal beliefs to provide a quality safety and health standard. In defense of a rapid standard being deployed, there are times and procedures to institute needed standards in case of imminent danger. Unfortunately it only happens when there is imminent danger!