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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Letting Industry Take the Lead

Aug 20, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Earlier today, Reg•Watch blogged about the problem of the Consumer Product Safety Commission's reliance on voluntary recalls. CPSC is not alone in choosing to make nice with industry rather than taking the lead itself. In fact, the Department of Labor wrote the book on it. The Pump Handle blog has a post criticizing the use of "compliance assistance" in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (both within Labor). The concerns are especially relevant in light of the current Crandall mine tragedy.

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Crandall Canyon Mine Collapse Implicates MSHA Procedures

The Aug. 6 mine collapse at the Crandall Canyon coal mine in Utah, which trapped six coal miners and led to the deaths of three rescue workers, again calls into question the effectiveness of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The mine operators were working under a plan approved by MSHA in June, just months after serious structural problems forced the operators to abandon a work area only 900 feet from where the miners are trapped.

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In New York, Spitzer Picks up Bush's Slack

Aug 20, 2007 by Matthew Madia

New York Governor Elliot Spitzer is using state law to enforce a mandatory recall of children's toys contaminated by lead paint. Mattel has been forced to recall about 20 million toys this month. However, due to the nature of the federal regulatory system for product safety, those recalls are voluntary.

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Bush to Agencies: Make Hunting a Top Priority

Aug 17, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Is President Bush becoming a conservationist? Today, Bush issued an executive order titled "Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation." The order instructs federal agencies to, among other things, "Manage wildlife and wildlife habitats on public lands in a manner that expands and enhances hunting opportunities, including through the use of hunting in wildlife management planning." Reg•Watch wonders what issue or problem this order is trying to address. Perhaps Bush was just inspired in the midst of his extended vacation in Crawford.

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Automakers Gear-Up to Stop Fuel Economy Reform

Aug 16, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has the dirt on the efforts of the big three — General Motors, Ford and Chrysler — to mislead the public about the benefits of improved fuel efficiency. The automakers are holding a public rally as part of lobbying efforts to persuade federal legislators to abandon proposed fuel efficiency reform, according to UCS.

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White House Abuse Continues to Endanger Whale Species

Aug 14, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Bloomberg News columnist Cindy Skrzycki today writes about the White House delay of a rule that would protect the North Atlantic right whale. Under Executive Order 12866, OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has 90 days to review regulations before they are finalized. In consultation with the issuing agency (in this case, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) OIRA may extend the review period by 30 days.

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Possible Veto of Lobbying and Ethics Bill??

Aug 9, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

According to BNA Money and Politics ($$) the lobbying and ethics bill, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, is being further delayed until September because of concerns that President Bush may veto it. Your reaction may now be excuse me, a veto, after all this time? According to the article, a White House spokeswoman said the White House is reviewing the bill and there are some concerns with the provisions on earmarks, the revolving door, and the higher payments for air travel by federal officeholders and candidates.

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Latest Watcher

Aug 8, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Regulatory policy articles this time: Toy Recalls Bring Attention to Commission's Inadequacies OMB Manipulates Science in Cost-Benefit Analysis for Ozone Rule Size Matters: Nanotechnologies Present New Challenges

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Ethics and Lobbying Reform: Real World Changes?

Aug 7, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Well now that the lobbying and ethics bill is awaiting the President's signature, many are now asking how much the legislation will actually change the way business is done. An article from today's Washington Post is appropriately titled, "Draining the 'Swamp' Is Not So Easy." For example, now that lobbyists can't buy dinner for a member of Congress, will this only force them to spend more money at political fundraisers instead?

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Congress Passes Sweeping Lobbying and Ethics Reforms

After a year-long debate and negotiations over enacting lobbying and ethics reforms, Congress finally passed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (S. 1). While not an ideal set of reforms, the new law is the most significant lobbying and ethics reform in a decade and should make important strides in increasing accountability and transparency in Washington.

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