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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EPA's Weak Ozone Proposal: A Case for Regulatory Transparency

Jun 21, 2007 by Matthew Madia

On June 21, EPA announced a proposal for a revised national standard for ozone exposure. The proposal, mandated by court order, proposes a range from which EPA will pick its final standard. Any limit picked from within the proposed range will fall short of what is needed to protect the public health. EPA's proposed range is 0.070 to 0.075 parts per million, but in recent months scientific consensus has emerged in supporting a limit no greater than 0.070 ppm and ideally closer to 0.060 ppm. EPA has already caught a lot of flack for skirting a real decision and proposing limits weaker than scientists have recommended. But the role of the White House should be scrutinized as well.

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Industry Gives Advanced Word on Ozone Standard

Jun 20, 2007 by Matthew Madia

EPA is under court order to publish by today a proposed rule on its periodic review of the national air quality standard for ozone. The rule just went through a White House regulatory review process characterized by closed-door meetings which let in industry reps. Public health experts were heard from in a last-minute meeting held Monday.

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OMB's Portman Resigns

Jun 19, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Today, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Rob Portman resigned, citing the need to spend more time with his family. President Bush will nominate Jim Nussle to replace Portman. Nussle is a former Republican congressman from Iowa. When in Congress, Nussle was a budget guy, so it is unclear what implications, if any, his direction may have on regulatory policy. White House Budget Director Portman Resigns [Washington Post]

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White House Listens as Industry Calls for Weak Ozone Standard

Jun 15, 2007 by Matthew Madia

OMB Watch and Clean Air Watch have been carefully watching as the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviews EPA's rule to revise the national standard for ozone, a.k.a. smog. OIRA already entertained industry reps on two occasions (read more on that here). The press is starting to pay attention to this issue. Articles in Greenwire (subscription) and The Hill discuss the importance of a tighter standard and the scientific basis behind it. The articles also chronicle industry's efforts to block EPA from developing a more protective standard.

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Latest Watcher

Jun 13, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Regulatory policy articles this time: Democratic Disarray on Greenhouse Gases May Let Bush off the Hook White House Meets with Industry on Smog Standard Long-delayed EPA Risk Assessment of Endocrine Disruptors Exhibits Flaws

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House to Drug Makers: "Hey, That's Our Job!"

Jun 12, 2007 by Matthew Madia

This week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will begin tackling its version of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) reauthorization/FDA reform bill the Senate passed in early May. The House has already uncovered disturbing (but not surprising) information about the bill. FDA drafted and provided to Congress the basis for the Senate bill. However, FDA apparently had a lot of help from the pharmaceutical industry in composing the legislative language. According to a report in today's Washington Post:

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Long-delayed EPA Risk Assessment of Endocrine Disruptors Exhibits Flaws

In its ninth year of work on the issue, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is about to begin the risk assessment process for an important but little-known group of chemicals called endocrine disruptors. However, scientists are concerned early indications of the assessment's construction will produce scientifically suspect results.

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White House Meets with Industry on Smog Standard

The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is reviewing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) revision to the national ozone standard. A number of scientists have urged EPA to adopt a more stringent standard for ozone, also known as smog. Unusually, Vice President Dick Cheney's office has involved itself in the review of the standard. OIRA has also been consulting with industry representatives as it prepares to make edits to the standard and make recommendations to EPA.

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Next Step for Lobbying and Ethics Bill: House-Senate Conference Committee

Jun 6, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

BNA Money and Politics ($$) reports that the even though House-Senate conferees have yet to be named, the process is proceeding towards completing a final lobbying and ethics bill. The House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Rules Committee are working on comparing the two bills, focusing on the differences that need to be resolved. There are a few important differences, such as the absence in the House version of a provision to double from one to two years the ban on lobbying by lawmakers.

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FDA to Establish Panel on Risk Communication

Jun 4, 2007 by Matthew Madia

FDA has announced the creation of an advisory panel which will aid agency officials in communicating food and drug safety risks to the public. Last year, the Institute of Medicine recommended Congress pass legislation creating such a panel. FDA should be applauded being proactive on the recommendation. During recent food and drug safety crises, FDA has seemed unwilling or unable to allay public fears with immediate communications and relevant information. Establishing this panel has the benefit of being both good politics and good policy.

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