Senate Passes Amendments to Shed Light on Contractor Misbehavior
Nov 30, 2012 by Gavin Baker
The Senate has approved several amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 3254), which will bring greater transparency and accountability to federal contracting. The amendments, which OMB Watch endorsed, would strengthen whistleblower protections for federal contractors and grantees, modeled after the protections pioneered in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
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Report: Corporate CEOs Pushing Tax Reforms that Would Reduce Firms' Taxes by $134 Billion
Nov 19, 2012 by Craig Jennings
A new report by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) says that the CEOs backing the "Fix the Debt" campaign could see their companies' bottom lines boosted by $134 billion if they get their way on corporate tax reform.
The report, The CEO Campaign to 'Fix' the Debt, examines one particular element of the Fix the Debt campaign that is a favorite of corporate tax cutters – a move toward a "territorial" tax system.
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The $4.5 Billion Criminal Fine for BP Oil Spill: Enough to Prevent Bad Corporate Behavior?
Nov 16, 2012 by Katie Greenhaw
Two years after the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed 11 people and spewed millions of barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, BP has agreed to plead guilty to 14 criminal charges, including manslaughter charges from the deaths. The company will pay $4.5 billion in damages, including $4 billion for the criminal charges and $525 million to securities regulators. BP will face additional civil fines of up to $20 billion as a result of its violations of the Clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act.
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Progress: Bill That Would Have Undercut Work of Independent Federal Agencies Delayed Until 2013
Nov 15, 2012 by Katie Greenhaw
Great news! Thanks to the hard work of consumer, environmental, labor, and other public interest groups (including the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards) and engaged citizens like you, lawmakers put the brakes on the Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act (S. 3468). The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has decided to hold a hearing on the bill to gather more public input before moving forward.
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Poll Shows Small Business Owners Support Stronger Toxic Chemical Standards
Nov 14, 2012 by Katie Greenhaw
According to a recent poll from the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), a large majority of small business owners support stronger regulation of toxic chemicals. The results of the survey highlight the overwhelming backing for controlling these chemicals, with most small business owners voicing support for enhanced regulation and disclosure of toxic substances.
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Medical Mistake Reporting System Could Make Health Care Safer
Nov 13, 2012 by Gavin Baker
Victims of mistakes at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies could soon have a way to report their experiences to the federal government. This new effort could make health care safer for everyone. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is proposing to create a consumer reporting system for patient safety events.
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State and Local Governments Can Enhance Campaign Finance Transparency
Nov 7, 2012 by Gavin Baker
I testified last week at a hearing of the District of Columbia Council about ways to strengthen campaign finance transparency. My message was that transparency should be part of any reform approach that the District pursues. My message to the D.C. Council was that transparency should be part of any reform approach that the District pursues. As I pointed out, "Transparency deters corruption, exposes abuse if it does occur, and empowers voters to hold public officials accountable."
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Payroll Tax Cut Extension Back on the Table?
Nov 5, 2012 by Craig Jennings
House Budget Committee Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) made a few waves in October when he said that the payroll tax cut should be extended beyond the end of the year. Van Hollen noted that, given the state of the economy, extending the payroll tax cut would put money into the "pockets of working Americans who actually go out and spend that money."
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