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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NOAA Efforts to Protect Marine Species Thwarted by White House

Oct 17, 2007 by Matthew Madia

For months, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has been blocking the finalization of a rule that would enhance protections for the North Atlantic right whale. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is pursuing the rulemaking because the right whale is one of the most critically endangered marine species in the world. Under Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review, agencies are required to submit significant rules to the White House in order to give OIRA an opportunity to review and edit the rule.

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CSS Supports House Effort to Stop Bush's Regulatory Changes

On behalf of Citizens for Sensible Safeguards, OMB Watch Director of Regulatory Policy Rick Melberth wrote to Congressmen Brad Miller (D-NC) and Linda Sanchez (D-CA) in support of their efforts to curb President Bush's recent attempts to further manipulate and control the regulatory process. Find out more by downloading the letter.

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EPA Cut Corners in TRI Rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came under tough scrutiny at an Oct. 4 hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials for reducing the reporting standards of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) in December 2006.

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President Signs PDUFA Renewal/FDA Reform Bill

Sep 27, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Today, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3580, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007. The law reauthorizes the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, an important source of funding for FDA, just in time to avoid agency layoffs. The law should also improve the ability of the agency to assure the safety of prescription drugs after they have been approved for the market.

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Latest Watcher

Sep 26, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Regulatory policy articles this time: Congress Hears Pleas for Expanded Authority and Resources at CPSC New White House Guidelines Fit into Broad Attack on Federal Protections Senate Reviews Agencies' Attempts to Preempt Congress and the States

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More on the California Waiver Controversy

Sep 25, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Earlier, Reg•Watch blogged about the concerted lobbying efforts of senior administration officials intent on killing an effort by the state of California to enact its own greenhouse gas reduction program.

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Administration Lobbies to Kill California Emissions Plan

Sep 25, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The Bush administration engaged in a broad, multi-agency effort to lobby congressmen and governors to urge them to oppose a California plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent investigation. In December 2005, California petitioned EPA to let the state develop its own program and standards for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Under the Clean Air Act, the federal government holds the express right to regulate emissions but may grant waivers to states, which it often does. If EPA grants California's waiver request, 11 other states could follow suit.

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New White House Guidelines Fit into Broad Attack on Federal Protections

The White House has issued new guidelines for federal agencies in conducting risk analysis. Risk analysis, of which risk assessment is a central factor, is a process by which agencies identify and evaluate risks such as toxic exposure or structural failure. Risk analysis often lays the scientific or technical foundation for public health and safety rulemakings.

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OMB Risk Analysis Memorandum Continues Bush Administration Policy of Less Regulation

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2007—The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) today released a risk analysis memorandum, "Updated Principles for Risk Analysis," outlining principles that federal agencies must follow for risk assessment, management and communication. The memorandum reiterates a policy that has been in place since 1995. But that policy, taken in the context of other regulatory changes made by the Bush administration, continues a policy of less regulation even as the public demands more protections of our food, consumer products, environment and workplace.

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White House Expands Micromanagement of Agency Activity

Sep 19, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Today, the White House issued a memo to the heads of federal agencies regarding risk assessments — a process by which agencies identify and evaluate risks such as toxic exposure or structural failure. Susan Dudley, head of OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and Sharon Hays, a senior official in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, issued the memo. The memo takes existing principles from a 1995 White House memo and includes additional text in order to place the Bush White House spin on each item.

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