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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Latest Watcher

Sep 13, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Reg policy articles this time: Criticism of Draft Risk Assessment Bulletin May Delay Implementation Report Finds Dudley Unfit to Serve

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The Cost is Too High

Sep 13, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Read OMB Watch and Public Citizen's new report on the White House's radical nominee for OIRA, Susan Dudley.

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The Cost Is Too High: How Susan Dudley Threatens Public Protections

Dudley - the cost is too high By nominating Susan Dudley to serve as White House regulatory czar, the Bush administration has signaled that it is shifting from siege to all-out war on the public's protections. Dudley is unfit to serve in this important role. Find out why in this special report from OMB Watch and Public Citizen, The Cost Is Too High: How Susan Dudley Threatens Public Protections.

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Report Finds Dudley Unfit to Serve

Public Citizen and OMB Watch released a report today on Susan Dudley, the nominee to become the new regulatory czar within the Bush administration, concluding that she is unfit for Senate confirmation.

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Criticism of Draft Risk Assessment Bulletin May Delay Implementation

InsideEPA, a Washington trade publication, reports that criticism from federal agency officials could prevent the Office of Management and Budget from finalizing a bulletin on risk assessments.

On Jan. 9, 2006, the OMB released a draft bulletin governing how agencies perform risk assessments. If enacted, the new standards would create a one-size-fits-all standard, requiring more information and analysis before agencies could act to protect the public.

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White House Strips Whistleblower Protections from Clean Air Act

Sep 11, 2006 by Guest Blogger

According to documents obtained by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the Bush administration has waived whistleblower protections under the Clean Air Act and the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Acting Assistant Attorney General Steve Bradbury wrote a memo in 2005 detailing why whistleblower protections do not apply under the acts. According to PEER, The opinion and the ruling reverse nearly two decades of precedent. Approximately 170,000 federal employees working within environmental agencies are affected by the loss of whistleblower rights.

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Comments on OMB's Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin

Download comments submitted jointly by OMB Watch and Public Citizen

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Bio: Susan Dudley

Susan Dudley was nominated by President Bush to serve as the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in July of 2006. Before that time, she directed the Regulatory Studies Program of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University from 2003 until 2006. Pending her appointment, Dudley continues her work at Mercatus as a Distinguished Senior Scholar.

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Bill Berkowitz: Dudley Do-Wrong

Aug 25, 2006 by Guest Blogger

In a column for WorkingForChange, Bill Berkowitz compiles a pretty damning case against Susan Dudley. Berkowitz interviews a variety of advocates for public health, safety and the environment, all of whom express deep concerns about the nomination: "If Dudley is confirmed by the Senate, she will further strip them of their ability to stand up to government secrecy, politicization and corporate interests," said Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook. "Throughout her career, Dudley has consistently fought against government safeguards and advocated a radical, hands-off approach.

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Dudley's Disturbing Views on Worker Health and Safety

Aug 25, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Former OSHA and MSHA policy analyst Celeste Monforton blasted OIRA nominee Susan Dudley in yesterday’s Courier-Journal for her “disturbing” position on worker health and safety. Dudley recently wrote a law review article on OSHA’s regulation of respirable crystalline silica, a breathable dust that causes silicosis, an irreversible and potentially fatal lung disease. According to the CDC 1.7 million U.S. workers in occupations such as construction, sandblasting and mining are exposed to crystalline silica.

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