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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Did OMB Weaken EPA Efforts to Monitor Airborne Lead?

Oct 17, 2008 by Matthew Madia

This morning Reg•Watch blogged about EPA's revision to the national air quality standard for lead. The new regulation is significantly better than the current standard which had not been revised since 1978. But another part of the new regulation raised Reg•Watch's suspicion. Currently, the network EPA uses to monitor concentrations of airborne lead has some serious problems. According to Felicity Barringer at The New York Times, "Currently, 133 monitors are in operation nationwide, down from about 800 in 1980, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, Cathy Milbourn, said."

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Bush Thumbs Nose at New Government Accountability Law

Oct 16, 2008 by Craig Jennings

On Tuesday, President Bush issued one of his infamous signing statements for a bill that will improve the independence of inspector general (IG) offices within the federal government. Since IG offices monitor efficiency, waste, and fraud in the government, but are also housed within the federal government, Congress saw fit to enact new measures to insulate IG offices from political pressures. (More on the bill here.)

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Right Whale Protection Rule Finally Here

Oct 9, 2008 by Matthew Madia

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has finalized a long-awaited rule that will protect the North Atlantic right whale, one of the planet's most critically endangered marine species. Fewer than 400 right whales are left, according to NOAA.

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Industry Pressuring EPA to Weaken Lead Rule

Oct 7, 2008 by Matthew Madia

EPA is finalizing a potentially major revision to the national air quality standard for lead, and industry has come a knockin'. On Oct. 2, several officials from the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) — the arm of the White House in charge of reviewing and editing new rules — met with several lobbyists from the battery recycling industry. That industry would eventually face new compliance requirements if EPA adopts a strict new standard.

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Bush Taking Credit for Whale Rule He Delayed

Oct 2, 2008 by Matthew Madia

The long-awaited rule to protect the North Atlantic right whale is coming soon, according to President Bush himself. Speaking at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History on Friday, Bush briefly discussed the rule: "There are fewer than 400 North Atlantic Right Whales left in the world… And there are going to be new regulations that will be coming to be shortly that require ships to slow down as they approach seaports where these whales are likely to be."

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Did OMB Block Asbestos Cleanup in Montana Town?

Sep 29, 2008 by Matthew Madia

The White House Office of Management and Budget opposed EPA's efforts to clean up a Montana town contaminated by asbestos, according to a new report. EPA wanted to declare a public health emergency in the town of Libby in order to compel the removal of attic insulation threatening thousands of residents and to extend medical care to residents at risk.

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Whale Protection Rule Clears White House, 573 Days Later

Sep 25, 2008 by Matthew Madia

The White House has finally given approval to a rule that would protect the North Atlantic right whale, one of the planet's most critically endangered marine species.

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White House, EPA Protecting Rocket Fuel Polluters

Sep 22, 2008 by Matthew Madia

The Bush administration will continue to allow perchlorate, a chemical found primarily in rocket fuel, to pollute America's drinking water supply. Perchlorate has been found to disrupt thyroid functions in humans, and can be particularly dangerous for infants and children. Yet, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will pass on an upcoming opportunity to set a new limit for drinking water, according to The Washington Post.

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Commentary: Bush's Last-Minute Rush to Dismantle Public Protections

by Gary D. Bass, OMB Watch Executive Director
Those who keep an eye on the federal government know the Bush administration is not friendly toward regulation — particularly health, safety, environmental, civil rights, and consumer protections. When they have been forced to regulate, Bush officials have advanced policies that mostly let the market control the game, while the idea of strong government intervention has been left to gather dust. However, even outside the recent regulatory takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, events show the administration is starting to kick things into high gear on regulations, trying to lock the next administration into a Bush legacy.

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Occupational Risk Rule Clears White House

Aug 26, 2008 by Matthew Madia

The White House has approved a controversial rule that would change the way occupational health agencies calculate on-the-job risks. The rule cleared the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs yesterday. According to OIRA's website, the office approved the rule "consistent with change." That's the most common designation OIRA uses to summarize its review of agency regulations. Basically, consistent with change means OIRA has done some meddling with and editing of the rule, but the big picture remains the same.

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