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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 Comments to FEC on Proposed Regulations for "Electioneering Communications"

Read the text of our comments to the Federal Election Commission in proposed regulations implementing the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. These regulations would ban broadcasts that mention federal candidates within 60 days of an election or 30 days of a primary, and are scheduled to go into effect the day after this year's Congressional election. For more background on the issue see our August 5 newsletter article. To download a copy of the original comments click here. August 21, 2002 Mai T. Dinh, Acting Assistant General Counsel Federal Election Commission 999 E Street NW

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FEC Releases Draft Rules on "Issue Advocacy"

The second set of proposed regulations implementing this year's new campaign finance reform law will focus on "electioneering communications," also known as sham issue ads. At its August 1 meeting, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) released draft rules, which will be published in the Federal Register on August 7. Final regulations are scheduled to be ready by late September, and will become effective the day after this fall's elections.

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FEC To Publish Proposed Issue Advocacy Rule in August

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) announced that it will be not be ready to consider proposed regulations on issue advocacy on July 25, as had been planned, delaying action until August 1. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be published in August 8 and public comments are due August 21. A hearing will be held on August 28 and 29 at the FEC’s office in Washington. A proceeding to define illegal coordination between campaigns and donors and advocacy groups will not begin until mid-September.

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Statement on Disclosure of Nonprofit Political Activity

OMB Watch is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that promotes greater citizen participation in pursuing a more accountable, responsive, and just government. To a large extent, we work with and through the nonprofit sector because of its vital place in our communities and our faith that the sector can play a powerful role to invigorate our democratic principles. OMB Watch works with nearly 10,000 nonprofits around the country -- mostly 501(c)(3) organizations, but also 501(c)(4) organizations and unions -- on various issues, including the protection of the nonprofit advocacy voice.

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House Nonprofit Donor Disclosure Bill Creates Major Problems for Nonprofits

"I personally believe this scheme is a clear violation of the First Amendment..." House Majority Whip Tom DeLayQuoted in CQ Daily Monitor, June 23, 2000 (pg. 6) The House is quickly moving a "campaign finance reform" bill to address nonprofit "political" activities that is widely perceived as unconstitutional and would have significant impact on nonprofit organizations. In the span of roughly one week, there has been a hearing, a bill has been drafted and marked up -- H.R. 4717, the Full and Fair Political Activity Disclosure Act of 2000 -- and the House will vote on it. The speed

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FEC Urged to Exempt Nonpartisan Voter Education in Soft Money Rulemaking

Public comments have been filed and hearings held in the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) first rulemaking to implement the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, focusing on rules relating to soft money contributions to political parties and fundraising by federal candidates and their agents. Both the Republican and Democratic parties urged a narrow interpretation of the rules, while BCRA Congressional sponsors and reform groups urged a more aggressive approach.

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OMB Watch Comments on Proposed Soft Money Rules

Comments on the Federal Election Commission's proposed regulations on soft money. May 29, 2002 Rosemary Smith, Assistant General Counsel Federal Election Commission 999 E Street NW Washington, DC 20463 Re: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Notice 2002-7: Prohibited and Excessive Contributions; Non-Federal Funds or Soft Money Dear Ms. Smith,

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Proposed FEC Soft Money Rules Impact Nonprofit Fundraising, Voter Education

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has published its first proposed rules implementing the new Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). They address soft money issues, which primarily impact political parties and campaign committees. However, nonprofits are impacted by new restrictions on some donations to 501(c) and 527 organizations involved in voter education and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activities.

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House Votes Down Changes to Stealth PAC Law

Last week the House of Representatives voted down a taxpayer rights bill that included an exemption for state and local PACs that reformers said went too far and would have undermined the recently passed Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA).

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Campaign Finance Bill Becomes Law: What Next?

The real impact of the new campaing finance reform law will be influenced by two factors: the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) decisions in writing the regulations required to implement it and the lawsuits filed by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the National Rifle Association challenging its constitutionality.

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Resources & Research

Living in the Shadow of Danger: Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards

People of color and people living in poverty, especially poor children of color, are significantly more likely...

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A Tale of Two Retirements: One for CEOs and One for the Rest of Us

The 100 largest CEO retirement funds are worth a combined $4.9 billion, equal to the entire retirement account savings of 41 percent of American fam...

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Blowing Smoke: Chemical Companies Say “Trust Us,” But Environmental and Workplace Safety Violations Belie Their Rhetoric

Large chemical companies a...

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Gasping for Support: Implementation of Tougher Air Quality Standards Will Require New Funds for State Agencies

New scientific research shows that the current levels of...

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