OMB Watch Comments on Obama Regulatory Reform Package
Jan 18, 2011
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2011—The Obama administration today released three documents aimed at reforming some aspects of the regulatory process. Two of the actions, an executive order and a memorandum on small businesses and job creation, reaffirm existing approaches that have been in place for decades. Another memorandum seeks greater government accountability by directing agencies to disclose more regulatory compliance information. OMB Watch believes that while the reform package ushers in some positive policy measures, it also contains some problematic language and reinforces false notions regarding job creation and strong public protections.
read in fullRules to Watch for in 2011
Jan 11, 2011
Federal agencies have released their rulemaking agendas for 2011, providing the public with a roadmap of the health, safety, and environmental safeguards it can anticipate in the new year.
Report Finds Regulatory Process Changes Stalled at Midterm Point of Obama Administration
Jan 6, 2011
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2011—Today, OMB Watch released the third and final report in a series on public protections and the Obama administration. The new report, The Obama Approach to Public Protection: The Regulatory Process, finds that although the Obama administration's overall regulatory philosophy is strikingly different from that of the previous administration, promised changes to the federal regulatory process have stalled out.
Corporate Failures Not Enough to Trigger Meaningful Regulatory Change in 2010
Dec 14, 2010
In 2010, Big Business was often in the news for the wrong reasons. The BP oil spill disaster, the explosion at a Massey Energy mine that killed 29, and the recall of millions of Toyota vehicles, to name a few, made headlines throughout the year, both for their human, economic, and environmental toll and for the negligence they exposed. Despite these failures, 2010 was an excellent year for America's corporate elite. Profits skyrocketed, lobbyists fended off new regulation, and corporate access to Washington decision makers grew even more robust.
E-rulemaking Legislation Seeks Greater Transparency and Participation
Nov 23, 2010
On Nov. 17, Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a bill that would expand public participation and transparency in the rulemaking process by improving aspects of the current electronic rulemaking (e-rulemaking) system. The bill would enhance technical aspects of the current federal system, encourage agency experimentation, and allow the public to track rules and better contribute to agency decisions.
read in fullAll Eyes on Regulation in Post-Election Environment
Nov 9, 2010
Facing a Republican majority in the House and a slimmer Democratic majority in the Senate, President Obama and administrative agencies may increasingly turn toward regulation to accomplish policy goals. In contrast, new lawmakers and congressional leaders vow to use their power to roll back regulations, cut spending, and shrink the size of government.
EPA and Transportation Lay Out Long-term Fuel Efficiency Plans
Oct 13, 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have begun the process for setting fuel efficiency standards for light-duty vehicles (cars and light-duty trucks) for model years 2017 through 2025. The regulatory initiative comes at a time in which the EPA is under bipartisan attack for addressing climate change issues in the absence of congressional action.
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.
read in full
National Mining Association Sues EPA over Limits on Mountaintop Mining
Jul 27, 2010
The National Mining Association (NMA) filed a lawsuit on July 20 against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) claiming that new enforcement guidelines issued by EPA in April unlawfully obstruct permitting of coal mining operations. NMA claims the new guidelines effectively prohibit certain types of surface mining and that EPA denied NMA the opportunity to review and comment on the guidelines before they became final.
Simplify Choices, Disclose More to Alter Public Behavior, White House Says
Jun 29, 2010
The White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will push government to look at regulation in a new light and reassess how the choices regulators make affect the choices the public makes, according to a new memorandum sent to federal agencies.
read in full
