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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

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...

read in full

more news

Text of Letter to IRS on New Auditing Program

March 21, 2003 Evelyn Petschek Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Internal Revenue Service 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20006 Re: IRS Examination Project on Charity LobbyingBY FACSIMILE (202-283-9973) BY FACSIMILE (202-283-9973) Dear Ms. Petschek:

read in full

Senate Briefing Focuses on CARE Act and Discrimination

Comment on grant competition in an era of budget cuts in our forum.

read in full

OMB Watch Comments Oppose Rule Allowing Federal Funding for Church Buildings

On January 6 the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed new regulations implementing the President’s December 12, 2002, Executive Order requiring “equal treatment” of faith-based organizations in the federal grant process. The proposal is similar to regulations proposed last month by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). However, they go further, allowing religious organizations to partially fund construction, acquisition or rehabilitation of structures to be used for both religious and government funded purposes.

read in full

Comments of OMB Watch on Charitable Choice Provisions Applicable to HUD Program Participants

Full text of OMB Watch comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development on proposed rules governing federal grant rules for religious organizations receiving funds under HOME Investment Partnerships, Community Development Block Grants, Hope for Homeownership of Single Family Homes, Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS, Emergency Shelter Grants, Shelter Plus Care, Supportive Housing and Youthbuild. For background information see see our summary of the proposed rules. February 18, 2003 Office of the Rules Docket Clerk Office of General Counsel Room 10276

read in full

Congress, OMB Won't Deliver on Bush's AmeriCorps Promises

Despite rhetorical support for AmeriCorps from the Bush administration, Congressional Republicans and the Office of Management and Budget have effectively halved the number of AmeriCorps volunteers for this year. In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks, Bush issued a call for national service, and promised to increase the number of AmeriCorps volunteers from 50,000 to 75,000 in his 2002 State of the Union address. Now, however, AmeriCorps is facing a severe fiscal crisis that could not only halt the enrollment of new volunteers, but also cut the program to 26,000.

read in full

Senate May Consider CARE Act Soon

The scaled back version of the CARE Act (S 476) passed by the Senate Finance Committee is on a list of eleven items Senate leadership expects to take up in the next few weeks, possibly as early as the week of March 10. Once the bill reaches the floor Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) will offer their comprehensive version of CARE, S 272, as an amendment. S 272 includes “equal treatment” provisions for faith-based organizations seeking grants and authorization of the Compassion Capital Fund. (See our summary).

read in full

Church Electioneering Bill Gains Sponsors

Rep. Walter Jones' (R-NC) bill to allow houses of worship to engage in partisan electioneering, including endorsing or opposing candidates, during religious services and similar events has gained 54 co-sponsors in the House. The bill, H.R. 235, is a scaled back version of legislation that failed to pass the House last year. While the new bill limits electioneering to religious services, it has still raised concerns about houses of worship becoming soft money conduits and indirect tax subsidies for partisan activity based on tax deductibility of donations to religious organizations.

read in full

OMB Watch Comments on Charitable Choice Rules Seek Accountability, Less Discrimination

In December the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released proposed rules on “equal treatment” of faith-based organizations competing for grants in the Temporary Assistance to Families in Need (TANF), Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) programs. The public comment period ended last week, with OMB Watch filing comments calling for stronger financial and programmatic accountability rules and opposing rules that allow discrimination against program beneficiaries and employees based on religion.

read in full

Comments of OMB Watch on Charitable Choice Provisions Applicable to TANF

Full text of comments on Department of Health and Human Services proposed regulations for "equal treatment" of religious organizations in competition for grant funding in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program. Similar comments were filed for proposed regulations for the Community Services Block Grant Program and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. February 18, 2003 April Kaplan, Office of Family Assistance Administration for Children and Families 370 L' Enfant Promenade, SW 5th Floor Washington, D.C. 20447

read in full

Senate Finance Committee Passes Limited CARE Act

For more information see our summary of both bills. Tax policy expert Matt Hamill of the Institute for Higher Education Policy has put together a comparison of the charitable giving portions of H.R. 7, CARE Act 2002 and 2003 and the Bush Budget for FY 04.

read in full

Pages

more resources

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

Text of Letter to IRS on New Auditing Program

Senate Briefing Focuses on CARE Act and Discrimination

OMB Watch Comments Oppose Rule Allowing Federal Funding for Church Buildings

Comments of OMB Watch on Charitable Choice Provisions Applicable to HUD Program Participants

Congress, OMB Won't Deliver on Bush's AmeriCorps Promises

Senate May Consider CARE Act Soon

Church Electioneering Bill Gains Sponsors

OMB Watch Comments on Charitable Choice Rules Seek Accountability, Less Discrimination

Comments of OMB Watch on Charitable Choice Provisions Applicable to TANF

Senate Finance Committee Passes Limited CARE Act

Pages

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

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

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

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

Citizen Health & Safety Topics

Recent Reports

Living in the Shadow of Danger: State Scorecards

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

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