Building Nonprofit Advocacy Capacity

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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more news

CARE To Be Re-introduced in Senate and House

Sep 26, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Senator Santorum and Senators Lieberman have announced that they will propose a new CARE Act on Tuesday, September 27. This bill will be a freestanding piece of legislation containing key portions form the earlier CARE Act. A draft bill and a Dear Colleague letter has been circulating through Senate offices since Friday.

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FEMA Lets Volunteers Numbers Wither

Sep 26, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Interesting article in the Washington Post about FEMA allowing their volunteer corps to wither on the vine. Volunteers are FEMA's lifeblood, allowing them to rescue individuals and families and clean up disaster areas. To read the article, FEMA Lets Reserves Wither, Hurting Response

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Katrina Volunteer Protection Act News

Sep 22, 2005 by Guest Blogger

In OMB Watch's last Watcher, we mentioned Chairman Sensenbrenner's Katrina Volunteer Protection Act, that was passed by voice vote in the House. href=" http://judiciary.house.gov/media/pdfs/KatrinavolunteerHousepass91405.pdf">H.R. 3736, the Katrina Volunteer Protection Act, authored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).The act establishes a uniform federal floor to protect ad hoc volunteers working in response to Hurricane Katrina. The legislation was enacted to protect volunteers who act in good faith and without compensation to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina from

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Kudos Are Right, But Main Point Is Wrong

Sep 22, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Michael Tanner of CATO begins a recent article giving kudos to the charities who responded to the devestation of Hurricane Katrina. "While the response to hurricane Katrina has uncovered failures of government at every level - federal, state, and local - it has also revealed again the amazing generosity and effectiveness of America's private charitable efforts." Tanner is right in giving kudos to the great works that groups like the Red Cross and the ASPCA are doing to help people and animals that are victims of Hurricane Katrina.

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Ornstien on Abramoff

Sep 22, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Norm Ornstien in Roll Call on Abramoff: Now on to Abramoff. Yet another shoe dropped on Monday in this ongoing saga: the arrest of the White House’s top procurement official on charges of making false statements and obstructing an investigation related to Abramoff and the General Services Administration.

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FBI Investigating Katrina Web Scams

Sep 22, 2005 by Guest Blogger

"FBI Director Robert Mueller said Wednesday that the FBI has launched 31 investigations of websites that may be falsely claiming to raise money to help victims of Hurricane Katrina," USA Today reports. "Mueller said the FBI, with the help of legitimate relief organizations, has checked out 3,000 of 4,600 websites that are soliciting donations to help displaced people."

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Katrina Tax Legislation Sent to Bush

Sep 22, 2005 by Guest Blogger

"A $6.1 billion tax-relief bill to aid in recovery from Hurricane Katrina cleared Congress, amid laments over the deficit but no clear direction from Republicans beyond creating World War II styled bonds to finance the debt from the disaster," the Wall Street Journal reports. "The House gave its approval on a 422-0 vote, and the Senate sent it on to President Bush for his signature last night without a roll call." INCENTIVES FOR CHARITABLE DONATIONS:

Encourages cash donations by individuals. Under current law, individuals may deduct

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Katrina Tax Legislation Deal Reached

Sep 21, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Top House and Senate tax writers Sept. 20 reached a deal on a package of tax incentives (H.R. 3768) intended to help provide the victims of Hurricane Katrina cash, housing, and employment. Senate aides said the measure would be on the floor Sept. 21. A House Ways and Means Committee news release also said a floor vote would occur Sept. 21. There are charitable contribution provisions in both the House and Senate bills. Find out more about here.

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Justice Department Documents Illustrate Need for More Disclosure on LDA Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released compliance information for the first time in the 10-year history of the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA). The information reveals that it has pursued only 13 violations out of approximately 200 referrals in the past two years. Recent legislation introduced by Reps. Marty Meehan (D-MA) and Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) in the House and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) in the Senate calls for lobbyists to file quarterly lobbying statements and would require disclosure and regulation of grass-roots activity.

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Nonprofits and Katrina

The nonprofit sector has really stepped up to the plate in responding to the crises left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Now the federal government is responding with laws and regulations that will assist nonprofits providing relief in the Gulf Coast.

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