The result has been a systematic weakening of regulatory safeguards across the entire spectrum of environmental issues, from clean air to wilderness protection.

Their testimony demonstrated that any concerns about risks to the deposit insurance system can be met by appropriate regulatory safeguards.

"It is a tour de force, blistering, scalding indictment of the deficiencies in the current regulatory safeguards," he said.

With these regulatory safeguards, failing banks would no longer threaten the insurance fund.

Congress is considering legislation that is designed to speed things up, but that may go too far in loosening regulatory safeguards.

But critics argued that the proposals went too far in loosening regulatory safeguards, and no bill emerged.

The F.T.C. extended regulatory safeguards to consumers who shop by telephone, fax and even computers.

"It seems to remove, with one glib gesture, regulatory safeguards that have promoted the financial viability of the creative community."

And they fear that, in the name of cooperative conservation, crucial regulatory safeguards will be abandoned.

And to insure that banks don't mishandle these insured deposits, there must be new, stringent regulatory safeguards.