Cost-benefit Analysis

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

more news

Rumors of a Regulatory Foe at OIRA

Dec 2, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Update: Lutter Confirmed at OIRA.

As reported by Rena Steinzor at the Center for Progressive Reform blog, rumors are circulating the Randall Lutter may be taking a deputy position at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the executive branch gatekeeper for all things regulatory. OIRA Administrator Cass Sunstein has neither denied nor confirmed the rumors, Steinzor says.

read in full

Sunstein Confirmed as Obama's Regulatory Chief

On Sept. 10, the Senate confirmed Cass Sunstein as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Sunstein's nomination had been stalled by several senators who were concerned about the nominee's views on such issues as animal rights and citizens' right to bear arms. The Senate confirmed Sunstein by a 57-40 vote.

read in full

OMB Watch Statement on Cass Sunstein's Senate Confirmation

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2009—On Sept. 10, the Senate confirmed Cass Sunstein as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). OIRA is a small but powerful office that reviews regulations and approves government forms and surveys that require the public to divulge information. The Senate confirmed Sunstein by a 57-40 vote.

read in full

Sunstein Nomination Will Have to Wait

Aug 6, 2009 by Matthew Madia

It’s all but certain that Cass Sunstein, President Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), will not be confirmed before the Senate recesses tonight or tomorrow. According to Congress Daily (subscription), Senate leaders will try to bring up votes on a few noncontroversial nominees, and Sunstein won’t be one of them.

read in full

While Sunstein Nomination Is Delayed, Regulatory Reform Waits

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has placed a hold on the nomination of Cass Sunstein, President Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). News of Cornyn's hold emerged July 22 – one week after Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) lifted his hold on the nomination.

read in full

Another Hold Placed on Sunstein

Jul 22, 2009 by Matthew Madia

As reported by FoxNews.com this morning, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has placed a hold on Cass Sunstein, President Obama’s pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Cornyn’s hold comes just one week after Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) lifted his hold on the nomination.

read in full

Sotomayor Defends Opposition to Cost-Benefit Analysis in Fish Kill Case

Jul 16, 2009 by Matthew Madia

During her Senate confirmation hearings, Judge Sonia Sotomayor defended her belief that cost-benefit analysis is an inappropriate decisionmaking tool for writing certain regulations under the Clean Water Act. As a member of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Sotomayor authored an opinion striking down an EPA rule that would have allowed power plants to suck in and kill millions of fish if operators could show that compliance costs outweighed ecological benefits.

read in full

Obama Administration Pushing Broad Food Safety Agenda

Jul 7, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The Obama administration has announced major steps aimed at improving the safety of the nation’s food supply. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Vice President Joe Biden announced the agenda at press conference this afternoon.

read in full

Chambliss Placing Hold on Sunstein Nomination

Jun 30, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The Hill has identified Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) as the Senator who has placed a hold on the nomination of Cass Sunstein, President Obama’s pick to head the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). The Hill outlines Chambliss’s concerns.

read in full

Sunstein Nomination Delayed over Views on Animal Rights

Jun 16, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Senate Republicans are holding up the nomination of Cass Sunstein, President Obama’s pick to head the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, according to Congress Daily (via govexec.com).

read in full