Supreme Court Delays Decision in Citizens United Until 2010

The Supreme Court has put off until next year a ruling in the Citizens United case, leaving many anxious about the impending decision. The case challenges limits on corporate and union spending on elections and could significantly alter future campaign seasons. The case was re-argued in a special session on Sept. 9, and three months later there is still no decision.

read in full

Appropriations Update: 11 down, 1 to go

Last night, in a 57-35 vote, the Senate passed the appropriations omnibus bill, coming one step closer to finishing the FY 2010 appropriations process. The Senate's vote means that all but one of the appropriation bills are done, which is good, since FY 2010 started a couple months ago. The one slight problem is that the last bill to go is the Defense bill, and it's shaping up to be a doozy.

read in full

Christmas Comes Early for the IRS

I Pity the Fool that Tries to Avoid Taxes Now

With the House's clearance of the $447 billion omnibus spending bill on Thursday and the Senate expected to pass the same legislation this weekend, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is set to finally get that substantial boost in funding this year.

read in full

Congress to Boost Consumer Product Safety Funding

In an omnibus appropriations bill quickly moving its way through Congress, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is set to receive a major funding increase for FY 2010 (which began Oct. 1). The bill sets the agency’s budget at $118 million, the highest level allowed under a separate bill that reauthorized the agency in 2008. CPSC’s FY 2009 budget was $105.4 million.

read in full

Groups Use Citizens United as the Vehicle to Pass Public Financing

Many fear that if the Supreme Court decides in the Citizens United case to overturn limitations on corporate expenditures in political campaigns, it will transform elections with a deluge of corporate and union money. In preparation, groups are using this prospect as a way to advocate for election reform legislation, specifically public financing in House and Senate races.

read in full

Task Force on Government Performance to Hold Hearing Today

The Senate Budget Committee’s recently inaugurated Task Force on Government Performance will hold a hearing this morning on the benefits of the use of technology in providing results in government performance. This will be the second hearing for the task force and it should be a good one.

read in full

Warp Speed: An Appropriations Update

Oink Oink

Last night, as expected, Congress took a giant step toward finishing appropriations this year, as a House and Senate conference committee agreed to a $446.8 billion discretionary omnibus, which includes six of the seven remaining appropriations bills. In addition, the House this afternoon passed, by a vote of 241 to 181, the tax extenders package as a standalone measure rather than attaching it to an appropriations bill; and it's completely paid for!

read in full

COP Evaluates TARP, Gives it a Passing Grade

This being December, with school winding down and entering finals period, children everywhere are beginning the biannual tradition of dreading the arrival of their report card. Surprisingly, the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP), the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) oversight group chaired by Prof. Elizabeth Warren, decided to get in on the action themselves this year with their December report. Titled "Taking Stock," the latest installment of COP's monthly report looks back over the life of the program, and examines whether TARP has been effective or not. Reading the report, it looks like COP reluctantly gives the program a passing grade, but isn't entirely happy with TARP's progress so far.

read in full

Appropriations for LSC Complete, Keeping in Place Advocacy Restrictions

Conferees completed their work on the FY2010 Commerce-Justice-Science ("CJS") appropriations bill. It will be included in an omnibus spending measure, along with the rest of the unfinished appropriations bills except Defense. The CJS measure appropriates funds for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

read in full

CRS Report on Lobbying Rules

Last week, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report asserting that the Obama administration's rules covering federally registered lobbyists have "already changed the relationship between lobbyists and covered executive branch officials." The report titled, "Lobbying and the Executive Branch: Current Practices and Options for Change," did not explain how those relationships have changed.

read in full

Pages

Subscribe to The Fine Print: blog posts from Center for Effective Government