Don C. Brunell: Detoxifying Congressional Politics

Thankfully, June 8 marked a milestone for Congress. Members came together and overwhelmingly approved a sweeping bill that regulates tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture.

The legislation capped more than three years of arduous work by Republicans and Democrats and business and environmental leaders who systematically plowed through volumes of complex, confusing and sometimes contradicting state and federal environmental laws and regulations dealing with toxic chemicals.

It updates the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act to r...