Republican bills would also exempt small banks, those with less than $250 million in assets, from community-lending rules entirely.

Representative Jack Brooks said he would introduce a bill to modify the law that exempts insurers from antitrust rules.

Suddenly given a schedule with no time for play, and forbidden to discuss his training, Jonas is also exempted from rules pertaining to rudeness and dream-telling.

A similar pattern exists with laws regarding field sanitation, which exempt many small farms from rules requiring toilets and drinking water in the fields.

Some in Congress favor exempting pregnant women and single parents from rules that bar funding of residential drug treatment by Medicaid health insurance for the poor.

The group's tax status as a Section 527 political organization exempts it from rules that affect many other nonprofit religious organizations and political action committees.

"For too long, the Senate has exempted itself from rules regarding discrimination," Mr. McCain said Wednesday.

Of course, what Mrs Thyssen said was true, the EU institutions cannot exempt themselves from rules applicable to public bodies.

The E.P.A. wants to exempt many small industries from rules on toxic chemicals, but local officials voice safety concerns.