Political 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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Countdown to the Disappointment: The Final Days of Ozone Lobbying

Mar 6, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Groups representing both industry and the public are making final efforts to lobby EPA on its upcoming revision to the national standard for ozone, a.k.a. smog. EPA is under a court deadline to finalize the new standard by March 12. EPA's scientific advisory panel on clean air has recommended EPA tighten the standard (currently 84 parts per billion) to between 60 and 70 parts per billion — a recommendation most environmentalists and public health advocates endorse. Many industry groups, as well as some governors and some in Congress, would like the standard to remain the same.

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Amicus Briefs Filed in Challenge to Member Disclosure Law

Mar 5, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

Campaign Legal Center, Democracy 21 and Public Citizen filed an amicus brief in support of the Justice Department to defend a member disclosure requirement in the new lobbying disclosure law. National Association of Manufacturers v. Taylor challenges Section 207 of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA).

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High Court Expands Federal Preemption in Medical Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court has taken up a series of cases that addresses the issue of whether federal agency approval of medical devices and drugs shields manufacturers of those products from liability under state laws. In a case decided Feb. 20, the Court held that federal law preempts state liability claims if certain medical devices received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The Court also considered if that same protection should be extended to drug manufacturers.

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Bush Administration to Alter Employee Leave Protections

The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a proposed rule that would alter federal protections for workers who need to take leave to care for themselves or their families. DOL chose to pursue the rule changes after hearing complaints from industry lobbyists.

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Environmental, Worker Safety Rules Targeted by Industry Groups

The Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Advocacy has finalized a list of ten rules it will encourage federal agencies to modify. The Office of Advocacy compiled the list after receiving recommendations from small businesses and industry lobbyists.

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EPA's Topsy-Turvy Definition of Conflict-of-Interest

Feb 29, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Here's a gem from today's Los Angeles Times: Under pressure from the chemical industry, the Environmental Protection Agency has dismissed an outspoken scientist who chaired a federal panel responsible for helping the agency determine the dangers of a flame retardant widely used in electronic equipment.

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Regulatory Hit-List Finalized

Feb 28, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Today, the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy announced its final list of regulations under its regulatory review and reform initiative. Ultimately, this list tees up 10 rules the Bush administration may attempt to rollback in its final year in office.

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House Ethics Task Force Proposal Likely To Get Vote Soon

Feb 26, 2008 by Amanda Adams*

The House is expected to vote soon on the recommendation to create an independent office to consider ethics complaints made against lawmakers. The task force, led by Representative Michael Capuano (D-MA), was created last year as part of the House's overall effort to reform House ethics standards. Many expect passage of the measure that will set up the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), a panel of six board members appointed by the House speaker and the minority leader, with current members and lobbyists ineligible to serve.

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Toys "R" Us Announces Lead, Phthalate Standards

Feb 26, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Toys "R" Us has announced plans to enforce a voluntary standard for lead in toys tighter than the mandatory federal standard. According to the retailer's press release, "We have instructed all manufacturers who produce items for Toys "R" Us, Inc. that products shipped to the company on or after March 1, 2008 must comply with strict new standards, which include…applying a more stringent standard of 90 ppm for lead in surface coatings versus the current federal standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys "R" Us, Inc."

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Coal Mine Safety Shortchanged by Years of Budget Cuts

Feb 25, 2008 by Craig Jennings

Congress created the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in 1977, placing a new federal focus on miner safety and health. In the past two years, a spike in coal mine fatalities and high-profile coal mine disasters have prompted many Americans and Congress to look to MSHA to improve miner safety, but years of budget cuts and the loss of qualified employees have left the agency struggling to fulfill its mission. A new article by OMB Watch, the latest in our Bankrupting Government series, tracks the history of budget and staffing cuts at the agency with a particular focus on MSHA's coal mine safety and health program.

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