Protecting Consumers

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Bush's Attempts to Undermine Tort Claims Criticized

Apr 14, 2008 by Matthew Madia

An editorial in today's New York Times condemns a policy, known as preemption, which prohibits consumers from suing manufacturers if a product harms a consumer, so long as that product is in some way regulated by the federal government. The editorial calls preemption a "perverse legal doctrine" and warns that as it "continues to spread, the public will be deprived of a vital tool for policing companies and unearthing documents that reveal their machinations."

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Budget Cuts Leave Consumer Safety Net "Frayed"

Apr 7, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Sunday's Cleveland Plain Dealer ran an article by Stephen Koff highlighting a problem OMB Watch has been focusing on for the past few months: declining budgets and staffing levels at federal regulatory agencies.

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Public Protection Standards Have Dropped under Bush

Mar 31, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Some investigative journalism at the Federal Times shows just how little rulemaking federal agencies have engaged in during the Bush administration: Many regulatory agencies have submitted fewer rules during the current Bush administration's two terms than during Bill Clinton's tenure, or even during George H.W. Bush's single term.

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On Toy Safety, States Lead the Way

Mar 25, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Wall Street Journal reporter Joseph Pereira writes today about state government efforts to limit the presence of certain substances in children's toys, particularly lead. Both the U.S. Congress and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have been unable to quickly enact policies to respond to public concern over toy safety.

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Bipartisan Consensus Forming on CPSC Reform

Although differences between the House and Senate still exist, Congress is moving toward a bipartisan agreement on major reforms to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Bills from each chamber need to be reconciled, but if Congress can agree on a single proposal, it will set up a showdown with the Bush administration over new provisions intended to expand consumer protections by revitalizing the CPSC.

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Senate Moves to Boost CPSC Budget and Authority

Mar 7, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Yesterday, the Senate passed in a 79-13 vote (roll call) legislation (S. 2663) to provide more funding and more authority to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The bill will now need to be reconciled with a House version (H.R. 4040) passed in December. The bill takes positive steps on several issues Reg•Watch has been blogging about: Budget and Staff

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Federal Meat Inspectors Spread Thin as Recalls Rise

Mar 5, 2008 by Matthew Madia

The federal regulator of meat, poultry, and egg products, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), faces resource limitations that make it more difficult for the agency to ensure the safety of the food supply. Although the agency's budget has risen since it was created, staffing levels have dropped steadily, according to a new article by OMB Watch. Widespread vacancies in the agency have spread FSIS's inspection force too thin. Meanwhile, the number of meat, poultry, and egg product recalls has risen, and a recent recall of 143 million pounds of beef is the largest in the nation's history.

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Federal Meat Inspectors Spread Thin as Recalls Rise

The federal regulator of meat, poultry, and egg products, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), faces resource limitations that make it more difficult for the agency to ensure the safety of the food supply. Although the agency's budget has risen since it was created, staffing levels have dropped steadily. Widespread vacancies in the agency have spread FSIS's inspection force too thin. Meanwhile, the number of meat, poultry, and egg product recalls has risen, and a recent recall of 143 million pounds of beef is the largest in the nation's history.

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High Court Expands Federal Preemption in Medical Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court has taken up a series of cases that addresses the issue of whether federal agency approval of medical devices and drugs shields manufacturers of those products from liability under state laws. In a case decided Feb. 20, the Court held that federal law preempts state liability claims if certain medical devices received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The Court also considered if that same protection should be extended to drug manufacturers.

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Senate Republicans Attack CPSC Reform Bill

Feb 29, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Over at the Government Accountability Project (GAP) blog, Dylan Blaylock previews next week's Senate showdown over legislation that would expand the resources and responsibilities of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The House version of the bill (H.R. 4040) passed in December in a 407-0 vote, but things may not go so smoothly in the Senate.

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