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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more news

Bankrupt Nation!

Apr 4, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

OMB Watch Director of Federal Fiscal Policy Adam Hughes wrote an opinion piece explaining how the current Congressional budget proposals reveal a Republican Party in denial about the nation's poor fiscal health. The op-ed appeared this morning on www.tompaine.com. Tompaine.com: Bankrupt Nation

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2005 Budget Cut Bill's Future Still Uncertain

Apr 4, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

The 2005 budget cuts reconciliation bill's future still hangs in the balance as the public interest group Public Citizen has challenged the law's constitutionality - rightly claiming the president's signed a bill that was never passed by Congress. The timing of the next steps in the lawsuit is unclear. The Washington Post wrote a very good editorial over the weekend on the issue.

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Pot Calling Kettle - 'You're Black'

Mar 31, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

This just in from the U.S. Department of Supreme Irony - most of us think Congress can't get any more puzzling, but then along comes this little tid bit from yesterday's Senate floor session. The Senate unanimously approved a resolution yesterday (S Res 410) designating April 2006 as "Financial Literacy Month," in the hopes of raising public awareness about the importance of financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that may result from a lack of understanding about personal finances. The only thing to really say at this point is, are they serious?

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House Budget Committee Approves Bill 22 - 17

Mar 30, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

The House Budget Committee approved it's version of the FY 2007 budget resolution last night by a 22 - 17 vote. The resolution sets discretionary spending at the president's proposed level of $873 billion and outlines $6.8 billion in entitlement cuts across a swath of different programs.

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OMB Head Bolten to Replace Card in White House

Mar 28, 2006 by Guest Blogger

White House chief of staff Andy Card has announced his resignation after serving for almost five-and-a-half years in the position. His last day will be April 14. Card is being replaced by current OMB head Josh Bolten, who served as deputy White House chief of staff in Bush's first term. Washington Post: Andrew Card Resigns as White House Chief of Staff

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USA Today Pans President's Line-Item Proposal

Mar 23, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

USA Today's lead editorial today sharply criticizes supporters of the president's latest power grab - an line-item veto (or enchanced rescission power) proposal currently turning some heads in Congress. The editors make very good arguments, particularly the fact that this proposal would actually distract attention from the major issues at play with the errosion of our country's fiscal health, not help to make our government more fiscally responsible.

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Lawsuit Filed Over Budget Reconciliation Bill

Mar 22, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Public Citizen has filed a federal lawsuit regarding the constitutionality of the budget reconciliation bill. They are seeking to overturn the bill, which was signed into law on Feb. 8 by President Bush, on the grounds that it is unconstitutional because a clerical error resulted in a different version of the bill being signed than what was actually passed. It is possible the courts could rule that the act violates the Constitution -- specifically the bicameral clause -- which requires both chambers to pass identical legislation before it can become law.

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House Passes Yet Another "Emergency" War Funding Bill

Before departing for a week-long St. Patrick's Day recess, Congress succeeded in further mangling the fiscal state of the nation. The House passed a costly emergency supplemental bill, while the Senate approved a misguided budget resolution. At the same time, both chambers approved an increase to the nation's debt limit to pay for their fiscal decisions. The $92 billion emergency supplemental measure passed by the House will significantly increase current deficits and do so by circumventing standard budget procedures.

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Senate Approves Disappointing Budget Resolution

Last week before leaving town for another weeklong recess, the Senate approved its Fiscal year 2007 budget resolution. The resolution is a significant departure from President Bush's proposed budget submitted earlier this year, dropping the president's Medicare cuts, not extending tax cuts, and adding over $16 billion in discretionary spending above the president's request. Despite these changes that make it more election-friendly for Senate incumbents, the budget continues to fall short of the sound budget policy desperately needed to stem the growth of deficits.

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OMB Watch Statement On Debt Ceiling Increase

Mar 17, 2006 by Matthew Madia

OMB Watch released a statement yesterday about the vote in the Senate to increase the nation's debt limit for the fourth time in the last five years. Read the statement

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