Press Room
Obama Tax Cut Compromise Capitulates on Estate Tax
Dec 7, 2010
By Gary D. Bass, OMB Watch
Simultaneously published Dec. 7, 2010 in the Huffington Post
President Obama's tax cut deal with congressional Republicans, if enacted by Congress, will achieve what President George W. Bush could not get done: create a path to effectively kill the estate tax.
OMB Watch Pans Deficit Commission Plan
Dec 1, 2010
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2010—OMB Watch today panned the plan proposed by the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to reshape the nation’s fiscal priorities. While the plan contains some praiseworthy provisions targeted at the tax code and the federal budget process, overall, it represents an unfortunate step backward in meeting the needs of the nation’s working families.
OMB Watch Criticizes U.S. Chamber of Commerce over Irresponsible Attack on Public Protections
Nov 17, 2010
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2010—OMB Watch today criticized the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for an irresponsible attack on government regulation, a key mechanism for providing public safeguards. The rebuke was in response to news that the Chamber will target environmental and worker protections and health care and financial reform regulations in the coming months.
OMB Watch Lauds President Obama’s Executive Order on Controlled Unclassified Information
Nov 4, 2010
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010—Today, the White House released a new executive order on controlled unclassified information (CUI) that deserves genuine praise as a simple but strong path forward in the effort to rein in the chaotic alphabet soup of unclassified information categories.
read in fullOMB Watch Releases In-Depth Analysis of House Republicans' "Pledge to America"
Oct 6, 2010
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2010—OMB Watch today released an in-depth analysis of "A Pledge to America," the House Republicans' newest policy plan. The Pledge was announced on Sept. 23. Overall, the analysis finds that the Pledge paints with a broad policy brush. Despite the lack of detail, OMB Watch was able to examine the Pledge in three main areas: regulatory policy; tax and budget policy; and transparency and government accountability.
GOP 'Pledge' Is Simply a Way of Shutting Down a Large Part of Government
Sep 23, 2010
By Gary D. Bass, OMB Watch
Simultaneously published Sept. 23, 2010 in the Huffington Post
As Yogi Berra's redundant saying goes, "It's déjà vu all over again." Back in 1994, congressional Republicans unveiled what they called the "Contract with America." The Contract was chock-full of policy proposals intended to shrink the size of government, kneecap agencies' ability to protect the public, and decrease the burden on taxpayers, especially the rich.
New Report Examines Agency Rulemaking Activity at Mid-term Point of Obama Administration
Sep 20, 2010
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2010—Some agencies under the Obama administration have energetically laid out a clear rulemaking agenda, while others have been stymied by a variety of factors, according to a new OMB Watch report. The report, The Obama Approach to Public Protection: Rulemaking, was released today and evaluates the regulatory activity of several environmental, worker safety, and consumer protection agencies within the federal government.
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OMB Watch Applauds White House Move to Quickly Fill Ethics and Government Reform Roles upon Norm Eisen Departure
Aug 6, 2010
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2010—Today, OMB Watch joined with several other good government groups to applaud the work of Norm Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform. The groups also expressed appreciation that the White House has moved swiftly to replace Eisen, who is departing to become Ambassador to the Czech Republic.
read in fullAmericans for a Fair Estate Tax Urges Senators to Co-Sponsor the Responsible Estate Tax Act
Jul 26, 2010
WASHINGTON, July 26, 2010—Americans for a Fair Estate Tax (AFET), a coalition of national and state organizations, sent a letter to the Senate today asking members to co-sponsor the Responsible Estate Tax Act, S. 3533. Over seventy organizations, including major labor, religious, social equity, and good government groups, are urging senators to support the bill. OMB Watch is a member of AFET and signed on to the letter.
read in fullAnother Shameful Attack on Our Public Protections
Jul 21, 2010
By Gary D. Bass, OMB Watch
Simultaneously published July 21, 2010 in the Huffington Post
There they go again. Amid some of the most spectacular market failures the country has ever seen, business lobbyists and their friends in Congress want to reinvigorate their discredited deregulatory agenda.
