White House Influence and Interference

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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more news

EPA May Tighten Smog Standards

Sep 16, 2009 by Matthew Madia

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced today that she will review and possibly revise the national air quality standard for ozone, or smog. The Bush administration announced the standard on March 12, 2008, but clean air advocates and good government groups accused Bush officials of ignoring scientific conclusions in the face of political pressure. Today, EPA intimated that it will more closely align the regulation to the underlying science.

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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.

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Cass Sunstein Confirmed

Sep 10, 2009 by Matthew Madia

As expected after yesterday’s cloture vote, Cass Sunstein was confirmed as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The vote was 57-40. Click here to read OMB Watch’s statement on the confirmation.

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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.

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Sunstein One Step Closer to Confirmation

Sep 9, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Update (9/10/09): A little after 4:00 pm, the Senate confirmed Cass Sunstein as OIRA administrator. The vote was 57-40. Click here to read OMB Watch’s statement on the confirmation.

Today, Cass Sunstein, President Obama's nominee to head the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, passed a critical test when the Senate voted to end debate on his nomination.

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Vehicle Emissions Rule Sent to White House for Review

Aug 27, 2009 by Matthew Madia

In May, President Obama announced that his administration would set new, nationwide standards for vehicle fuel efficiency in order to reduce tailpipes’ contribution to global warming. The administration said it would use a plan developed by the state of California as a model.

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Obama Administration Joins Roadless Rule Battle

In an Aug. 13 filing, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reserved its right to appeal a district court ruling and support the 2001 roadless rule that protects millions of acres of forest land. If the district court ruling striking down the rule is allowed to stand, it would conflict with a recent appeals court decision upholding the roadless rule. The administration's support for the roadless rule could bring years of conflict over the rule's status to an end.

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Oil Industry Lobbying for Changes to GHG Inventory

Aug 17, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The oil industry is pushing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to change its plans for establishing a greenhouse gas emissions inventory. In April, EPA proposed a regulation that would require facilities to report greenhouse gas emissions above a certain threshold. The data would then be made available in a publicly accessible, online database. (More on the proposed regulation here.)

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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.

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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.

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