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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Lawmakers Use Statements Written by Lobbyists, Is Congress Just Lazy?

Nov 17, 2009 by Amanda Adams*

The New York Times found that more than a dozen members of Congress used almost indistinguishable talking points on health care reform ghostwritten by lobbyists. Lobbyists representing a biotech firm drafted separate language for Democrats and for Republicans. "The lobbyists, employed by Genentech and by two Washington law firms, were remarkably successful in getting the statements printed in the Congressional Record under the names of different members of Congress."

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FDA May Delay Oyster Rule after Industry Pressure

Nov 17, 2009 by Matthew Madia

In response to industry and political pressure, the Food and Drug Administration may be backing away from a regulation that would require oyster sellers to process oysters to kill Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria that can sicken or kill those it infects. The regulation was supposed to take effect in 2011, but FDA may delay action while it further studies the issue.

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Senate Climate Bill Preserves EPA Authority for Now

Nov 13, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Cap-and-trade legislation approved last week by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee would still allow the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gases. Unlike its House counterpart, the Senate bill does not exempt greenhouse gases from coverage under the Clean Air Act.

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Despite Life-Saving Potential, Oystermen Balk at Regulation’s Cost

Nov 10, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The oyster industry is fighting the Food and Drug Administration over FDA’s new policy intended to make oyster consumption safer. The FDA said last month that oysters from the Gulf of Mexico harvested during warmer months must be processed to kill the bacteria vibrio vulnificus which can sicken and even kill consumers, especially those with chronic illnesses.

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Study Reveals the Focus on Lobbyists Could be Flawed

According to a study conducted by OMB Watch and the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), 1,418 federally registered lobbyists "deregistered" with Congress in the second quarter of 2009 (between April and June). This is a considerably higher rate than that seen in the average reporting period, when a few hundred lobbyists terminate their active status. The groups cautioned that this finding does not necessarily mean that the Obama administration's policies on lobbyists are leading to fewer outside influences on government policy, or that those policies are creating more transparency.

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EPA to Overhaul Air Pollution Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will revise existing standards for six major air pollutants, according to top agency officials. The changes could yield major public health benefits.

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Federal Lobbyists have Increasingly Terminated Their Registrations

Nov 3, 2009 by Amanda Adams*

OMB Watch and the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) have found that lobbyists have began terminating their formal registrations at significantly higher rates than usual. The OMB Watch-CRP press release states that there have been "1,418 'deregistrations' of federally registered lobbyists during the second quarter of 2009, a marked increase for any reporting period during all of 2008 and 2009.

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Administration Releases More Visitor Logs

Nov 2, 2009 by Roger Strother*

On Friday, the Obama administration released another set of visitor logs. The list of 110 White House guests was compiled from public requests and includes names such as Brad Pitt, Jesse Jackson, and several business leaders. This release is a positive step toward building a system of government transparency that is responsive to the public interest but we would still like to see the administration go further with this effort.

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EPA Begins Asking for Data on Chemicals’ Endocrine Effects

Oct 30, 2009 by Matthew Madia

This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began sending out test orders under its Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). EPA is asking chemical manufacturers to screen certain chemicals to determine whether they are endocrine disruptors – a term used to categorize any compound capable of causing certain reproductive and developmental abnormalities.

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Hearing to Investigate Forged Letters

Oct 30, 2009 by Amanda Adams*

The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held a hearing on the fraudulent letters sent to Congress on clean energy and climate legislation. Chairman Edward Markey (D-MA) wanted to know why congressional offices were not notified until after the vote occurred, even though the existence of the fake letters was discovered beforehand. The letters were sent out by Bonner & Associates, a subcontractor hired by Hawthorn.

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