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Taxonomy: Term ID

Grant Made to Politically Connected Group with Negative Rating

A politically well connected organization that promotes abstinence education received a major federal grant last fall under the president’s AIDS program despite its proposal having been rated “not suitable for funding” by an independent review panel. A Feb. 15 letter from Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) to Randall L. Tobias, head of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), made public Waxman’s repeated requests for basic information on the administration of PEPFAR and demanded information on the unusual grant.

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Federal Agency Censors Conference Workshop Title, Then Recants

A federal agency’s attempt to remove the words “gay,” “lesbian,” “bisexual” and “transgender” from the title of a talk given at a federally funded suicide prevention conference is drawing ire from scores of mental health experts and the GLBT community. The conference, which will be held on Feb. 28 in Portland, OR, is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). On the agenda was a talk that, until SAMHSA officials stepped in, was titled, “Suicide Prevention among Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Individuals.”

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Study Looks at Independent 527s in 2004 Election

The Campaign Finance Institute has published a draft chapter of its upcoming book, Election After Reform: Money, Politics and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, that examines the role of independent 527 groups in the 2004 election. It finds these groups did not replace party soft money, since overall levels of soft money went down in 2004. It also said independent groups overall were “scrupulous” in following the law banning coordination with candidates and parties.

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Faith-Based Roundup

On Feb. 16, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved a job-training bill that would allow, if it passes, federally funded religious organizations to discriminate against employees based on their religious beliefs. The committee also rejected an amendment that would have remedied the constitutional concerns.

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Emperor Bush?

How the White House and Congress Are Establishing an Imperial Presidency Analyses of pending and expected antiregulatory proposals have revealed the usual themes from years past ï¿½ net benefits, regulatory budgeting, sunsets, and so on. An unexpected theme has also been emerging, which is worth noting for anyone committed to a progressive vision of an open, accountable government responsive to public needs: a trend in favor of concentrating power in the White House free of democratic accountability. In short, the creation of an imperial presidency. Imperial Presidency Proposals

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Budget Slashes Enforcement at FDA, EPA

The White Houseï¿½s fiscal year 2006 budget submission will mean big cuts in food and drug safety inspection as well as state enforcement of environmental protections. FDA Amidst mounting concern over the safety of our food supply from threats such as mad cow disease and bioterrorism and after a storm of criticism about FDAï¿½s botched inspection of British flu vaccine facilities, which led to a vaccine shortage this winter, FDAï¿½s budget proposes cuts to nearly all of its inspection programs.

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FDA Announces Drug Safety Oversight Board

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to initiate an independent oversight board to handle drug safety issues, but some lawmakers and consumer groups say the new panel lacks teeth. Michael Leavitt, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced Feb. 15 that FDA will create an independent drug safety oversight board. The board will be responsible for overseeing drug safety policies and resolving internal disputes over drug risks as well as approving information and content for a new government website on drug safety information.

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Missouri Proposes Ignoring ‘Annoying’ FOIA Requests

On Jan. 31, state Rep. Shannon Cooper (R-Clinton) introduced a bill in the Missouri House of Representatives that would modify Missouri’s Sunshine Law to allow a public governmental body to refuse any “vexatious” requests for documents. This bill would allow state agencies to reject any requests for information deemed annoying or frivolous. Unfortunately, a few other states have similar provisions in their sunshine laws.

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Fish and Wildlife Scientists Oppose Political Interference

A recent survey of scientists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) revealed a disturbing amount of political interference in scientific activities at the agency. The survey was distributed to more than 1,400 biologists, ecologists, botanists and other science professionals in Ecological Services field offices across the country. The survey inquired about their opinions of the USFWS’s scientific integrity, as well as political interference, resources and morale.

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Iowa Supreme Court Rules Government Cannot Contract to Avoid Disclosure

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the fundraising organization hired by the state’s three universities must open their records to the public. The court reasoned that the Iowa State University Foundation “is performing a government function, and therefore its records are subject to disclosure.” The ruling sets an important precedent that a government agency may not avoid its disclosure obligations by contracting out the collection and management of information.

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