Protecting Nonprofit Rights

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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Grassley Issues Stern Warning to Red Cross

Mar 14, 2006 by Amanda Adams*

Sen. Charles Grassley has accused the Red Cross of allowing a weak board to rule the organization, overstepping its Congressional mandate, and fostering a culture that cares more about good publicity than good deeds. The Senate Finance Committee has Grassley's letter, as well as the Red Cross' response to Grassley's request for documents.

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McCain Proposal on 527s

Mar 14, 2006 by Guest Blogger

From Roll Call: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has unveiled a proposal to limit donations to 527 organizations to $25,000 per person each year, or $50,000 each election cycle, that if enacted could be a huge blow to the groups’ hopes of being a force in the 2006 elections. Those groups raised and spent more than $500 million in the previous cycle, with many of the organizations relying on multimillion-dollar donations from wealthy individuals to fund their activities.

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Nonprofit May Be Under IRS Scrutiny Soon

Mar 14, 2006 by Guest Blogger

An article in the Hill says that the nonprofit group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washingington (CREW) may be the recipient of a complaint filed with the IRS. Tax experts say that CREW’s seemingly lopsided focus on Republicans will raise flags at the IRS, but they caution that determining violations of tax status so depends on the specific facts and circumstances of each case that it is impossible to predict how the IRS will act.

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Islamic Charity Sues Over Illegal Wiretapping

Mar 14, 2006 by Kay Guinane

Three related stories in the Washington Post reveal how the NSA spying program was used by the government to listen in on conversations between an Islamic charity and their American lawyers. NSA Sued on Wiretap Claim CBS News Wednesday, March 1, 2006; 2:01 AM Saudi Group Alleges Wiretapping by U.S. Defunct Charity's Suit Details Eavesdropping By Carol D. Leonnig and Mary Beth Sheridan Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, March 2, 2006; A01 Paper Said to Show NSA Spying Given to Post Reporter in 2004 By Carol D. Leonnig Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, March 3, 2006; A04

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OpEd on Closing of Muslim Charities

Mar 14, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The Crime of Being a Muslim Charity by Laila Al-Marayati and Basil Abdelkarim Sunday March 12, 2006 Washington Post The writers, both physicians, are board members of KinderUSA, a Muslim American nonprofit humanitarian organization.

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Dreier Working on House Republican Lobby Reform Plan

Mar 14, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Republican leaders worked on on a lobby reform bill over the weekend will reportedly discuss the issue at their weekly leadership meeting today. It is unclear what the lobby reform package will entail or which committees would be assigned the legislation. Speaker Dennis Hastert and Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier unveiled a lobbying package in January was not accepted by some House Republicans.

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Bennet Introduces Amendment to Strike Grassroots Provision

Mar 10, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Robert Bennett (R-UT) introduced an amendment yesterday to strike section 220 of the lobby reform bill, which mandates disclosure of grassroots expenditures of a certain threshold For more information on the grassroots and other provisions, see OMB Watch's paper on current provisions impacting nonprofits in the lobby disclosure bill.

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Senate Lobbying Reform Legislation: Specific Provisions Relating to Nonprofits

This paper provides a summary of action to date on legislation being considered on the Senate floor and a review of provisions relating to nonprofits. Although the entire legislation affects the nonprofit community by helping to offset the role money has in influencing public policy, there are provisions specifically applying to nonprofits that we describe.

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Senate Not In Session Today; Lobby Reform on Hiatus

Mar 10, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Neither the Senate nor the House is in session today. The Senate put lobby reform on hiatus after yesterday’s motion to invoke cloture failed. When the Senate will take up lobby reform again is unclear. On Monday, the Senate will move to the fiscal 2007 budget resolution and a bill to raise the nation’s statutory debt limit. For more on that subject, visit the OMB Watch Budget Blog. But make sure to come back for lobby reform updates!

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What Does the Dubai Ports Deal Have To Do With Lobby Reform?

Mar 10, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Despite an announcement Thursday that Dubai Ports World would transfer control over U.S. port operations to a U.S. entity, the lobby reform debate in the Senate has completely stopped after getting entangled in the ports deal. Schumer, who offered the amendment, reportedly wants a "complete break" with Dubai Ports World. He says that the announcement did not indicate that. The Dems are asking for an up or down vote on the Dubai deal next week.

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