Appropriations

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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Accounting Secrets: The Deficit Unmasked

Sep 19, 2006 by Matthew Madia

Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)’s article in Roll Call today points out that “The Financial Report of the United States,” a document so embarrassing to the While House that it published only 2,100 copies this year, reveals a true accounting of the deficit -— one that encompasses veterans’ benefits, civil service retirement, Social Security, and Medicare. Cooper notes that a partial unmasking of the true extent of the nation’s financial condition was mandated this summer, when:

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Earmark My Word: Boehner Promises House Action This Week

Last Thursday, House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced the House will take up legislation as soon as this week to overhaul the process allowing individual lawmakers to slip funding for special projects into large appropriations bills. Earlier this year, Congress seemed sure to address the enormously embarrassing loopholes riddling the nation's lobbying laws and Congress' own lax ethics rules in the aftermath of the Jack Abramoff scandal and the resignation of disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA).

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Congress Squanders Year As Appropriations Remain Unfinished

With the beginning of the new fiscal year less than three weeks away, not one of this year's appropriations bills has been signed into law. The Senate shoulders most of the blame for the standstill, having now passed just two of its 12 appropriations bills. Because there is so little time left, Congress will have to finish up its appropriations work in a lame-duck session after the November election.

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Spending Transparency Bill Passes Senate, House Approval Imminent

After a month of secret holds, back-room maneuvering, stall tactics and butting of heads, the Senate quietly passed the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 2590) on Thursday, Sept. 7 by unanimous consent. The bill will dramatically increase government accountability and public access to federal spending data, by creating a free, public, searchable website of all federal spending, including government contracts and grants. The House is expected to amend the bill slightly before passing it this week.

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Less Health Care for Handicapped Kids

Sep 12, 2006 by Matt Lewis

The Bush administration is trying to cut Medicaid through a rule change, instead of asking Congress to enact legislation, yet again. The target now: kids in special education.

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More Budget Gimmickry

Sep 7, 2006 by Matt Lewis

We reported earlier last week that Congress had passed legislation that pushed some Medicare spending for this year into next year. Now the White House might get into the game, too. Budget guru Stan Collender has been hearing rumors that the White House might delay some spending from this fiscal year until the next.

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Congress's In-"appropriate" Priorities

Sep 5, 2006 by Matt Lewis

The Senate is now taking up the must-pass-eventually defense appropriations bill. From BNA (subscription): Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said the Senate will convene Sept. 5 and immediately take up the DOD spending bill that lawmakers failed to finish prior to the August recess.

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The Local Connection

Sep 1, 2006 by Matt Lewis

Think you can spend the public's money better than the government has? Well, you should check out the National Priorities Project here to find out how your congressional district could have spent the money we gave to the richest 1% in tax cuts this year. And for an example of how federal budget cuts are affecting local communities, take a look at this article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

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More Money Held From Deficit Figures

Aug 30, 2006 by Matthew Madia

Building on yesterday's post, I think the costs that have been shifted are probably larger than first reported. Here's the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report:

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Budget Cuts in Texas

Aug 30, 2006 by Matt Lewis

Here's an interesting article on how budget cuts in child support are affecting state agencies in Texas. AUSTIN — Federal budget cuts could cripple Texas' efforts to collect child support payments, forcing the state to lay off at least 1,750 employees. Attorney General Greg Abbott informed legislative leaders Friday that if his office doesn't get more state funds next year, its child support division will be forced to lay off two-thirds of its employees. "Over half our offices serving families across the state could close," he said.

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