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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OMB Watch Releases Report on Bush Changes to Regulatory Process

Mar 15, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Today, OMB Watch released a full report titled A Failure to Govern: Bush's Attack on the Regulatory Process (download it here). This report outlines President Bush's recent amendments to Executive Order 12866 — Regulatory Planning and Review. The report details the potential impacts the amendments will have on federal agencies and the American public, as well as what the changes mean to democracy at large. A Failure to Govern: Bush's Attack on the Regulatory Process

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Outsourcing Regulations

Mar 9, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Today, The New York Times published a story documenting a recent and disturbing trend in government: allowing the regulated to write regulations. The story begins by detailing an IRS program in which tax lawyers and accountants are encouraged to draft rules on behalf of IRS. These tax professionals — who make money by finding new ways to reduce their clients' tax burden — will now formulate the regulations they will later be subject to. I challenge you to find a better example of a conflict of interest. The IRS program is merely the tip of the iceberg. The article goes on to broadly discuss the outsourcing of regulations: It is common for special interests of all types to be closely involved in drafting legislation and shaping rule making. But in recent years there has been a quickening pace of moves to outsource the actual work of regulation, hiring contractors to write the rules. Considering, as the article states, "Rule making is the heart of what Washington does," one would think federal regulators would take the process seriously. Instead, the federal government is passing the buck, then allowing industry to pocket it.

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High-profile Opposition to Bush Regulatory Changes

Mar 9, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The Environmental Forum, a bimonthly publication of the Environmental Law Institute, has published ">six opinions pieces on President Bush's changes to the regulatory process. The magazine features three opinions in favor of the changes and three opposed, including a piece by OMB Watch Executive Director Gary Bass. Of particular concern is the opinion of John G. Knepper, Deputy General Counsel of OMB. One new amendment requires agency Regulatory Policy Officers (RPO) be presidential appointees. Knepper argues this will make those officials more accountable to Congress and the public. But the Executive Order does not require the Senate to approve the RPO. Knepper, presumably involved in the drafting of the changes, should be more forthright in his argument. In opposition, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) reinforced the common conclusion that the White House — in the face of an opposition Congress — is attempting in its last two years to leave an anti-regulatory legacy. Waxman articulates the underhanded Bush tactic with a great simile: "Like a retreating army that mines the road behind it, the Bush administration is erecting new barriers to prevent commonsense safeguards from advancing in the next administration."

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Latest Watcher

Mar 7, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Be sure to check out the latest issue of our biweekly newsletter, The Watcher. Regulatory policy articles this time: Bush Continues Anti-Regulatory Efforts with Industry Nominee to CPSC Scientific Consultant Sparks Controversy over Conflicts of Interest In Congress, No Shortage of Fuel Economy Proposals

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Distortions and Misinformation Continue to Abound in Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure Debate

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2007—Public statements by opponents of grassroots lobbying disclosure, which would bring transparency to big money grassroots lobbying campaigns, have misled Americans by inaccurately claiming that potential proposals are intended to silence criticism of Congress and are "a plot by Washington insiders" to shut out diverse viewpoints.

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Disclosure Bill Faces Opposition

Mar 6, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Hill reports how strongly the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) opposes H.R.984, the Executive Branch Lobby Reform Act. The organization views the measure as a threat to a citizen's right to petition the government. The bill would require agency officials to document all communications from any private party that sought to influence a public policy issue. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee unanimously passed the bill, and now NRLC is engaging in a full blown campaign warning that the public's ability to weigh in on public policy will be jeopardized.

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Scientific Consultant Sparks Controversy over Conflicts of Interest

Recent findings indicate a consultant to a federal reproductive health sciences panel also has industry ties, creating a conflict of interest. The controversy raises concerns about scientific integrity in the federal regulatory process, as well as contractor transparency and responsibility.

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Bush Continues Anti-Regulatory Efforts with Industry Nominee to CPSC

In nominating Michael E. Baroody Mar. 1 to be chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), President Bush demonstrated yet another example since the 2006 elections of his efforts to slow down or roll back government regulation. CPSC is the independent regulatory agency charged with protecting the public against injury and death from a wide range of consumer products.

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One Step Closer to Less Smog

Mar 6, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Yesterday, the EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) unanimously voted on recommendations to EPA concerning ground-level ozone (or smog), according to BNA news service (subscription). CASAC voted to lower the allowable standard to between 0.060 ppm and 0.070 ppm from its current level of 0.08 ppm. CASAC purposefully used an extra digit so regulators could not manipulate the standard by rounding. And you thought you would never use significant figures after high school. CASAC's recommendation is similar to that of an EPA staff paper released in January. The EPA should now adopt the recommendation when it revises the standard which the Clean Air Act requires EPA to do every five years. Though based on sound science and developed by bright minds, the CASAC recommendation took some guts too. Industry has been vocal in opposing a tighter standard on smog. Also, EPA has been meddling with CASAC's ability to act independently, as a recent Senate oversight hearing uncovered. EPA has until Mar. 2008 to make its final decision, but with this administration it's never too early to start urging administrators to prioritize science and the public interest ahead of politics and special interests.

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FDA Ignoring Medical Advice on Antibiotic Resistance

Mar 5, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The Washington Post on Sunday ran a front page story about the FDA's pending approval of a bovine antibiotic, despite grave concerns over antibiotic resistance. Public health organizations including the American Medical Association — as well as the agency's own advisory board — warned against approval of the drug which is an important "medicine of last resort" in treating otherwise "nearly invincible infections." If the antibiotic is used on cows, resistant bacterial strains will likely develop with the ability to infect the human population. The effectiveness of this appropriately powerful drug will be severely weakened. In the Post article, epidemiologist Edward Belongia chides the drug industry for exerting its influence: The industry says that 'until you show us a direct link to human mortality from the use of these drugs in animals, we don't think you should preclude their use.' But do we really want to drive more resistance genes into the human population? It's easy to open the barn door, but it's hard to close the door once it's open. As the case for reform at FDA grows, this example is merely another brick in the wall. FDA is once again showing its disregard for medical consensus and scientific integrity, and jeopardizing public health in the process.

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