D.C. in brief

Toughen welfare's work rules, Bush urges

WASHINGTON -- President Bush urged the new Republican-controlled Congress on Tuesday to stiffen welfare's work requirements, a White House initiative that died in the Democratic-controlled Senate last year.

Bush said Congress should take as its model a bill the Republican-run House approved last year that would have required more people to work more hours -- 40 hours a week, 10 more than current law -- to receive government benefits. Of the 40 hours, 16 could be used for job training, education or drug rehabilitation. The Senate did not pass the bill.

RATINGS FALL: President Bush's job approval has slipped to 58 percent in a new CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll, the first time it has fallen below 60 percent in that poll since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. His approval was down 5 points from a week ago. Bush's job approval is still higher than those of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton at this stage of their presidencies.

SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE DAY: President Bush pleased antiabortion activists Tuesday by declaring a National Sanctity of Human Life Day this Sunday. The proclamation enacts no change in policies or programs.

Child's illness prompts gene therapy suspension

A second European toddler apparently suffered a leukemialike side effect from gene therapy that cured him of the rare but deadly "bubble boy disease," prompting the government on Tuesday to suspend 27 more gene therapy studies while they investigate the risk.

The immune disorder, severe combined immunodeficiency, is the only disease ever to be cured with gene therapy.

High court hears 'any willing provider' case

Kentucky told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it should be allowed to guarantee patients a broader choice of doctors through a state law regulating managed care companies.

Under its "any willing provider law," Kentucky, like 24 other states, requires health maintenance organizations to open their networks to outside doctors, hospitals and pharmacists as long as they agree to abide by the rules of the network.

But the Kentucky Association of Health Plans argued that the state law usurped the power of the federal government to regulate employee benefit plans and violated a central tenet of managed care.

Court: Federal rules don't cover home pet breeders

Rejecting arguments from animal rights groups, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that residential breeders of dogs and cats are not subject to federal licensing and inspection.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said people who sell and breed animals out of their homes fall under the definition of "retail pet stores" that are exempt from regulation under federal law.

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