Earmarks

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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FY 2008 CR: Legislative Update

Sep 25, 2007 by Dana Chasin

With three legislative days left before the end of the 2007 fiscal year, Congress and the president have little choice but to adopt a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating at full strength. Word on the Hill is that a clean CR -- that is, providing continued funding during the life of the CR at FY 2007 levels -- is expected to be passed before the end of the week, with House voting on the CR tomorrow and the Senate doing likewise on Thursday. Currently under discussion is a CR that would expire sometime around Nov. 16. Click here for a look at the House CR bill.

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Bush, Monday Morning QB, Asks 'Clean' CR

Sep 25, 2007 by Dana Chasin

But Unable to 'Obey' His Own Demands House Appropriations chair Rep. David Obey (D-WI) is trying to forstall a government shutdown, negotiating details of a Continuing Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 2008 (which begins next Monday, Oct. 1) with newly-installed OMB director Jim Nussle. "I met with the President's budget director last week and informed him at that time that we intended to pass a clean C.R. I asked him if he would let me know if the administration had any exceptions that they wanted included and they sent us over a dozen changes that they wanted."

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The More Partisan Part of the Glass

Sep 18, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Billows of Budget Blather, Through the Glass Darkly Now let's have a look at the part of the fiscal responsibility glass that is half empty Newly-minted OMB director Jim Nussle dropped his charm offensive as nominee like a rock yesterday, insisting that the president will fight for this $933 billion domestic discretionary topline, come what may from Congress. His rhetoric with reporters raised the specter of a government shutdown, to which he replied, "I don't choose to speculate about a train wreck."

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Take the BudgetBlog Reader Survey

Sep 18, 2007 by Craig Jennings

We here at the BudgetBlog would like to know what you think of our blog. Please take a moment to fill this short reader survey and give us your thoughts.

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Congressional Congestion, Calendar Constraints, and a Continuing Resolution

Sep 13, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Take nine unfinished Senate appropriations bills, throw in twelve unscheduled conference negotiations, add a handful of presidential veto threats thus far and counting, and count at most a dozen legislative days until the end of the 2007 fiscal year. You do the math -- it equals at least one continuing resolution (CR). Most discussions center around a CR that would give Congress until Nov. 9 or 16 to complete work on the FY 2008 budget. Without a stopgap agreement by Oct. 1, government agencies could not operate at full strength after the start of the new fiscal year.

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Nussle Approved as Budget Head, Faces Task of Completing FY 2008 Budget

In the Senate's first vote following the August recess, former Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA) was confirmed as director of the Office and Management and Budget (OMB), 69-24, with all Republican senators voting in favor of Nussle and the Democrats split down the middle. Notably, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Appropriations Committee Chair Robert Byrd (D-WV), and Senate Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad (D-ND) voted against the nominee. Nussle's approval sets up what is expected to be a bitter struggle to complete work on the FY 2008 budget during the fall.

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Nussle Approved to Head OMB, All Brace for Budget Battles

Sep 5, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Yesterday, the Senate voted 69-24 to confirm former Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA) as director of OMB. Every GOP Senator voted in favor of Nussle; 23 Democrats did likewise while 23 opposed him.

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Bush Has No Conception of Magnitude of Budget

Sep 4, 2007 by Craig Jennings

President Bush, August 2, 2007: Unfortunately, Democratic leaders in Congress want to spend far more. Their budget calls for nearly $22 billion more in discretionary spending next year alone. These leaders have tried to downplay that figure. Yesterday one called this increase -- and I quote -- "a very small difference" from what I proposed. Only in Washington can $22 billion be called a very small difference. Far be it from me to suggest that $22 billion isn't a lot of money. I will, however, agree that a difference of $22 billion can be "a very small difference." Allow me to illustrate:

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Sen. Sanders on OMB Director Nominee

Sep 4, 2007 by Matt Lewis

In the Huffington Post, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) objects to OMB Director nominee Jim Nussle.

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The Year in Fiscal Policy...So Far

After the elections in November 2006, with a new majority and low public confidence in Congress following multiple lobbying and ethics scandals, members vowed to restore integrity and responsibility to the legislative process, particularly in fiscal policy. Congress pledged it would prioritize funding for domestic needs and abide by pay-as-you-go rules for new mandatory spending and taxes. It would shed light on the earmarking process and spend more time minding the people's business in Washington.

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