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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Soft Landing for Losers-Turned-Lobbyists

Feb 22, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Congress Considers Lobby Reform Legislation Although federal law prohibits former members of Congress from lobbying former colleagues for a year from when they leave office, that hasn't stopped a number of members who lost their elections last November from joining lobbying firms, today's lead USA Today story reports. Nothing in the law prohibits former Congress members from advising lobbyists and clients, lobbying executive branch officials or directing a firm's congressional lobbying efforts.

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House Ethics Committee Issues Travel Guidelines

Feb 22, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

This week the House ethics committee issued guidelines concerning the process to obtain pre-approval of privately sponsored travel. Forms will have to be filled out explaining how each trip is considered to be official business. The sponsor paying for the trip will have to confirm that expenses are not related to personal activities. The new rules touted as strict, are now expanded once more in these new guidelines. A second night's stay is allowed in some cases if found necessary depending on practicality or transportation availability.

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Latest Watcher

Feb 22, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Reg policy articles this time: Congress Holds Hearings on Bush's Changes to Regulatory Process FDA Drug Approval Process under Scrutiny

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Big Rigs and Big Government

Feb 22, 2007 by Matthew Madia

TomPaine.com has an interesting opinion piece on a proposed regulation that would deem 97 foot long rigs safe for highway use. These rigs have four separate trucks behind the cab, and are longer than an NBA basketball court. What's really galling is that the law being implemented would violate the principles of federalism by overriding current state statutes: Under current federal regulations, states are allowed to impose an overall length limit of 75 feet on four-ways. Almost every state has imposed such limits… [T]his federal law is likely to be interpreted as actually prohibiting any state from protecting its residents by passing a law restricting four-ways to less than the 97-foot federal standard. As a native Pennsylvanian, I wonder how these trucks will be able to navigate the obstacle course that is the PA turnpike. I hope the Bush administration does not make me find out.

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Growing Furor over CPSC Vacancy

Feb 21, 2007 by Matthew Madia

As Reg Watch blogged last week, a commissioner vacancy has weakened the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) has introduced legislation to fix the problem, and a recent Washington Post column and New Standard article are drawing more attention to the issue. Public interest groups are going on the record and the public is realizing America needs a fully-functioning CPSC to protect citizens from hazardous products. When will President Bush respond by making the commissioner appointment and ending the manipulation of this independent agency?

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FDA Drug Approval Process under Scrutiny

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is facing renewed criticism over the process by which it approves drugs for market. Recent reports indicate many drugs are approved before they are proven safe, and problems with the agency's structure and processes prevent it from fulfilling its mission. Subsequently, Congress has started using its oversight powers to scrutinize the agency, and the clamor for FDA reform is growing louder.

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Congress Holds Hearings on Bush's Changes to Regulatory Process

Congress held back-to-back hearings Feb. 13 on President George W. Bush's Executive Order that amended the federal regulatory process. The first hearing primarily addressed the content of the amendments and the Good Guidance Practices Bulletin, both issued Jan. 18. The second hearing focused more on the legal and institutional challenges Bush's amendments raise.

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Grassroots Lobbying Survey Results Demonstrate Strong Support for Disclosure

In early February, OMB Watch conducted a week-long Internet survey on federal grassroots lobbying disclosure that asked respondents to express their support or opposition to a variety of disclosure principles. Over 1,100 people responded to the survey, and the results were clear: strong support exists for federal grassroots lobbying disclosure.

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Grassroots Lobbying Survey Results Demonstrate Strong Support for Disclosure

In early February, OMB Watch conducted a week-long Internet survey on federal grassroots lobbying disclosure that asked respondents to express their support or opposition to a variety of disclosure principles. Over 1,100 people responded to the survey, and the results were clear: strong support exists for federal grassroots lobbying disclosure.

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White House Disregard for Product Safety

Feb 15, 2007 by Matthew Madia

We have become used to President Bush appointing friends and others of like-minded ideology to important agency posts. Now it seems as though the White House has made a new friend — vacancy. As BNA news service (subscription) reports this morning, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) — an independent agency charged with protecting the American public from dangerous products — can no longer promulgate new regulations. CPSC has been dealing with a commissioner vacancy since July 2006 and, under agency rules, no longer possesses the voting quorum necessary to regulate on behalf of public safety. President Bush hasn't nominated a new commissioner, severely diminishing CPSC's power. This lapse, combined with proposed budget cuts to CPSC, tells the American people that product safety is not a priority of this administration. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) is pushing for legislation to allow CPSC to operate without a quorum for another six months, but this will only be a temporary fix. The White House ought to be ashamed of its underhanded attempts to delay product safety regulation.

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