Federal agencies that are routinely cowed by well-funded special interest groups jeopardize public health, safety, and free speech in ways that are not widely reported.

The latest example of this perfidy comes from the Department of Transportation, which has allowed People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to burrow in and start calling the shots on pressing public policy questions. The animal rights group, widely known as PETA, has gained national attention for the campaigns it has organized against eating meat, fur coats, fishing, and hunting.