Blog: The Fine Print / Open, Accountable Government

Recovery Act Webinars Help Answer Recipient Reporting Questions

Jul 23, 2009 by Sam Rosen-Amy

Are you a recipient of a portion of the $787 billion in Recovery Act funding? Still confused about how you're supposed to report on your use of this money? Never fear, the Office of Management and Budget has the situation under control with a new series of webinars, all of which are focused on the new recipient reporting model.

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UPDATE: House Passes Statutory PAYGO Legislation 265-166

Jul 22, 2009 by Adam Hughes*

CongressJust a quick update on the House's effort to reinstate Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) legislation. The full House passed H.R. 2920 this afternoon by a 265-166 vote. 24 Republicans joined with 241 Democrats to pass the bill by a pretty wide margin. Only 13 Democrats opposed the legislation.

 

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Dashboard Info Prompts VA to Hit the Brakes

Jul 22, 2009 by Craig Jennings

A project by the nation's Chief Information Officer, Vivek Kundra, has lead to the suspension of some 45 information technology (IT) projects at the Veterans Administration. Unveiled earlier this month, the “'IT Dashboard' is a new, one-stop clearinghouse of information that allows anyone with a web browser to track federal IT initiatives..."

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A Letter to Congress: PAYGO Legislation an Encouraging Start

Jul 21, 2009 by Jocelyn Yin*

This afternoon, OMB Watch submitted a letter to all members of the House of Representatives, encouraging them to support the "Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2009" ("PAYGO").  Introduced by House Majority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the bill is a crucial first step towards returning to a culture of responsible spending. 

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Obama's Use of Signing Agreements Draws Ire of House Democrat Leaders

Jul 21, 2009 by Jocelyn Yin*

Today, four House Democrat leaders, including Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. David Obey (D-WI), released a strongly worded letter that expresses their displeasure with President Obama's use of a signing statement to reassert his right to ignore the conditions placed on the IMF funding for purposes of conducting foreign policy.

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National Archives Opens Draft Strategic Plan for Public Comment

Jul 21, 2009 by Roger Strother*

On July 17, the National Archives and Records Administration released the draft revision of its 10-year strategic plan, Preserving the Past to Protect the Future: The Strategic Plan of the National Archives and Records Administration, 2006-2016.  The plan incorporates some key changes advocated by the open government community and is open for public comment until August 5.

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Studies Showing Dangers of Cellphone Use while Driving Were Suppressed

Jul 21, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The Bush administration shuttered a potentially groundbreaking research project designed to examine the effects of cellphone use on driver safety, and it suppressed information that could have shed more light on the problem, according to documents uncovered by Public Citizen and the Center for Auto Safety.

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OMB Delaying Mid-Session Budget Review

Jul 20, 2009 by Adam Hughes*

OMB Director Peter OrszagIn yet another example of searching for sinister intentions of the Obama administration that don't exist, the Associated Press reports this morning that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plans to delay the release of the annual mid-year update of the budget - called the Mid-Session Review - until mid-August.

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House May Vote on PAYGO as Early as Next Week

Jul 16, 2009 by Jocelyn Yin*

PAYGO legislation continues to move through Congress and may come up for a vote as soon as next week. 

Added: CBO responds to Rep. Paul Ryan's request for analysis of the proposed policy.

Added 7/17: Access the latest information and version of the bill here. 

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New Recovery.gov Recipient Mapping Feature

Jul 16, 2009 by Sam Rosen-Amy

Hot on the heels of the newly-announced redesign, Recovery.gov today unveiled a new recipient mapping feature. The new map lets users zoom in and out on a map of the country, with each Recovery Act project represented as a dot on the map, and dot size varying based on the number of projects per location. The map also allows users to sort by state (or associated regions, as even the Federated States of Micronesia is on here for some reason), size of contract, grant, or loan, and agency.

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