Ministers and officials have argued that current British laws governing surveillance powers are outdated, drafted in the days before anyone anticipated the widespread use of social media, leaving the police and security agencies unable to keep up with technology used by terrorists and serious criminals.
Rep. Mike Coffman, a Tea Party Republican from Colorado who served as a Marine officer in the Gulf War, has called Selective Service "an outdated program" that has cost more than $700 million since the draft ended.
In written testimony for a House Science, Space and Technology Committee hearing last February, for example, White charged that the EPA uses irrelevant or outdated data and procedures when drafting new regulations.
Sections of the Statute of Marlborough, passed in 1267 and the oldest surviving act still in force, are among 200 outdated regulations recommended for repeal in a draft bill published by the Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission on Wednesday.
"At first glance, the draft appears to improve some drastically outdated provisions of an ineffective rule," said Thom Kay, a legislative associate with the group Appalachian Voices.
Fisher was horrified at how outdated the laws were, and with the permission of the Cabinet organised a War Legislation Committee under Schuster to draft a new code of defence regulations.
"Just adding prescription drugs to an outdated Medicare program is like throwing lead weights onto a sinking ship," said Mr. Breaux, who has drafted legislation with Dr. Frist to inject market forces into Medicare.
The draft Bill reflects wide agreement that the 15-year-old legislation governing communications is fragmented and outdated given the rapid pace of technological change.
A January 2002 draft memorandum to Mr. Bush that was signed by Mr. Gonzales concluded that the Geneva Conventions were outdated in dealing with enemies like Al Qaeda, which sought to kill civilians.
A draft report by the Military Leadership Diversity Commission, a group established by Congress in 2009, concludes that the current policy is outdated and discriminatory.
