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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more news

Confirmation Vote: Hustle and Bustle for Nussle?

Jul 31, 2007 by Dana Chasin

The vote schedule on the nomination of Jim Nussle to the position of Director, OMB is somewhat clarified at this point:

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Scene from a Summit: Greenbacks and Vertigo

Jul 31, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Tomorrow is the day of the grand summit between President Bush and Democratic leaders on the 2008 federal budget. The summit -- an attempt to reconcile their differences regarding the budget -- was announced last Wednesday. Senate Budget Committee chair Kent Conrad remarked that the meeting could be a key to Nussle's confirmation to head OMB: "It will certainly be affected by that [meeting]."

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Compromise Lobbying & Ethics Bill Unveiled!

Jul 30, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Today, the Democratic leadership in Congress released their long-awaited compromise lobbying and ethics bill - The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (text of the legislation). The bill is 107 pages long, but already there has been some criticism of changes to the bill, particularly the earmark disclosure sections (see Mark Tapscott's reaction and the Porkbusters blog for a sampling). Two Senators, Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) - whose amendment to the bill earlier this year on earmark disclosure greatly strengthen the bill - have also posted disappointing reactions. At first glance it does appear the final version of the bill is not as strong (i.e. transparent) as the original and it is unclear why those changes were adopted at this point in the debate. DeMint has announced he will offer an amendment during final consideration of the bill to "restore real earmark reform." It's yet to be seen whether that amendment will be adopted of if this version is the best the House and Senate will be able to do this year.

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Words to Remember in September

Jul 27, 2007 by Dana Chasin

I am of the view that continuing resolutions do not define success. I would just suggest that both sides are losers when that is the case....The president is not able to move his agenda and priorities forward under a continuing resolution. Congress is not able to work its will and exercise its authority of power of the purse under Article I in a continuing resolution. I don't believe anyone wins. -- OMB Director-nominee Jim Nussle, before the Senate Budget Committee, July 26, 2007 To view the Nussle Senate Budget Committee confirmation hearing yesterday, click here.

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If Nussle Had Baggage, His Livery Service Handled It

Jul 26, 2007 by Dana Chasin

The tone for today's short and sweet Senate Budget Committee confirmation hearing on Jim Nussle's nomination to serve as OMB Director was set by the men who introduced him. Apparently, he was in good hands.

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Does OMB Nominee Bring Budget Baggage?

Jul 25, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Ignore that man on the floor with a bag over his head. Pay attention instead to what he does behind closed doors. That was the message of OMB Director-nominee Jim Nussle yesterday at his Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing:

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HSGAC Hearing on Nussle for OMB Director

Jul 24, 2007 by Dana Chasin

The "big-picture" quotation of the day, from this morning's Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Afffairs Committee hearing on Jim Nussle to be director of OMB:

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Questions, Concerns Surround Start of Nussle Confirmation Hearings

On June 19, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Rob Portman announced his resignation, effective in August. The same day, President Bush nominated former House Budget Committee chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA) to be the next OMB director. Today, July 24, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) held the first confirmation hearing for Nussle; on July 26, the Senate Budget Committee, which also has jurisdiction over the nomination, will hold its own hearings.

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OMB Releases Flawed Mid-Session Budget Review

On July 11, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released its annual Mid-Session Review, which contains updated estimates of the budget deficit, receipts, outlays and budget authority for fiscal years 2007 through 2012. While the administration trumpeted the decrease in the projected deficit, several aspects of the review cast doubt on the accuracy of these claims. In addition, the projections for years 2008-2012 were less noted and far more sobering.

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Nussle Senate Confirmation Hearing Schedule Set

Jul 18, 2007 by Dana Chasin

The schedule of confirmation hearings for former Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA), the president's pick to replace Rob Portman as OMB director is as follows:

Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (Sen. Joseph Lieberman, chair): Tuesday, July 24, 10 a.m.
Senate Budget Committee (Sen. Kent Conrad, chair): Thursday, July 26, 10 a.m.

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