Information Collection Requests up for Expiration

Normally, when agencies have pending paperwork requests at OIRA that do not get reviewed by the expiration date, approval for one year is inferred under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).

read in full

Bush Names Faith-Based Director, Announces New Program

Jim Towey takes over the Faith-Based office after a year of false starts and legislative stagnation. One of the administration's original plans, direct government funding of religious institutions' social service work, has proven to be an extremely controversial issue, and has held up legislation that would provide more donations for charities.

read in full

Campaign Finance Comes Back To Life In The House

OMB Watch has urged Reps. Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Marty Meehan (D-MA) to strengthen the portion of their bill dealing with exceptions to the ban on broadcast "issue advocacy" during an election cycle. The bill would allow the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to make rules exempting these activities, but does not require the FEC to act.

read in full

Massachusetts Court Orders Implementation Of Clean Elections Law

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court said the state legislature had violated the state Constitution by refusing to appropriate the funds required by the state's new clean elections law. The law was approved by 2/3 of the voters in a ballot initiative in 1998, and established a system of voluntary public financing for candidates for state office.

read in full

NPTalk: Congress Online Report

In a study conducted August-October 2001, Congressional web sites were assessed, assigned letter grades of A to F, and evaluated by a committee of experts who considered which sites were worthy of designation as Congress Online Gold or Silver Mouse Award winners. Did Congress pass the test?

read in full

GAO Prepares to Sue Cheney

GAO has power under federal law to conduct investigations for purposes of congressional oversight of the executive branch, as well as to sue officials that defy Congressional authority.

read in full

The Role of Government Performance in the FY 2003 Budget

As we have said before, if improving government performance is limited to threatening agencies with cuts, rather than working together with Congress and the Administration to truly make government more effective and useful to citizens, we can't expect much good to come from this new attempt at improving government.

read in full

Table: FY 2002-03 Percentage Growth in Discretionary Budget Authority

Note: Many of the increases noted in the table below are due to programs specifically concerned with the President's $37.7 billion Homeland Security budget. For a more-detailed analysis of the components of the Homeland Security and other agency budgets, please see the OMB Watch website for other analyses.

read in full

Amendment To Permanently Repeal Estate Tax

Demise of economic stimulus package brings end to efforts to make estate tax repeal permanent -- for now, at least.

read in full

Whatever It Takes!

Wouldn't it be great if we could resolve to do whatever it takes so that everyone who works can afford shelter and food, or to clean up the nation's water and air, or make sure no child goes to bed hungry -- just as we've resolved to do whatever it takes to fight the war on terrorism?

read in full

Pages