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Expect Anti-Regulatory Bills in 109th Congress

When the 109th Congress reconvenes on Jan. 20, expect Republican lawmakers to continue work on anti-regulatory measures that will protect industry interests at the cost of the public interest. House Speaker Tom DeLay (R-TX) has repeatedly mentioned “universal regulatory reform” as one of several high-priority items for the 109th Congress’s agenda, and the House Government Reform Committee announced late last year that reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act will be only one part of “a reform-focused legislative and oversight agenda that will streamline the federal government.”

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Bush Renominates Industry-Backed Radical Right-wingers to Federal Bench

Just two days before Christmas, the White House announced its intention to renominate to the federal bench 20 radical right-wing and corporate-friendly extremists whose nominations had been thwarted in the 108th Congress. The White House will be supported in this effort by both social conservatives, who see Bush nominees as friendly to conservative positions on controversial social issues like abortion, and the corporate sector, which is dedicating millions of dollars in an unprecedented lobbying effort on behalf of the Bush judicial picks. Safeguards at Stake

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White House Advances Anti-Regulatory Hit List

The White House waited until eight days before Christmas to reveal its new regulatory ï¿½reformï¿½ plan instructing agencies to review and complete action plans on a regulatory hit list of over 200 suggestions for reversing protections of the public interest, mostly proposed by industry lobbyists.

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Administration Will Step Up Faith-Based Efforts

Despite budget cuts for social service programs, Jim Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives told a recent Pew Charitable Trusts conference on religion and social policy that the administration will push its faith-based agenda in the 109th Congress.

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Tsunami Relief Raises Earmarking Issues for Charities

The enormous outpouring of giving for victims of the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia is bringing the role of nonprofits in international disaster relief into the public eye once again. Many donors are earmarking their contributions for tsunami relief, raising some concern that disaster relief needs in other areas of the world may suffer.

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OMB Finalizes Peer Review Proposal

Shortly before the holidays, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a final version of its bulletin to establish government-wide requirements for when and how federal agencies use scientific peer review. The final bulletin makes modest changes to the revised proposal that OMB published April 28, 2004 which only allowed a 30-day comment period. OMB’s announcement did not explain the seven-month delay until just before the holiday season, when many academics, scientists and public interest groups concerned with the policy were away on vacations.

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Working Group on Community Right to Know Joins OMB Watch

Since 1989, the Working Group on Community Right-to-Know has helped people defend and improve our right-to-know about environmental and public health concerns. As of January 2005, the Working Group was merged into OMB Watch and will focus on outreach activities.

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Illinois State Police Issue Gag Order

A new Illinois State Police policy could silence whistleblowers that expose corruption, impropriety or wrongdoing within the police department by prohibiting employees from talking to news reporters. The gag order came soon after a November 2004 Chicago television news station story exposed improper conduct on the part of state police guarding the governor. The report questioned the size of the governor’s security force on out-of-state trips and detailed how bodyguards allowed unauthorized people to drive or ride in state vehicles, among other things.

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Wisconsin Speaker Pushing for New Sunshine Law

A Wisconsin lawmaker recently proposed state “sunshine” legislation aimed at providing more transparency in the state’s contracting process. Currently, details about government contracts are not available to the public.

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Seen and Heard: 109th Congress Opens with Host of Tough Issues

The 109th Congress of the United States opened last week, with much of the fanfare surrounding GOP pre-session planning (particularly ethics committee rule changes) and the decision of a few Democrats (including Senator Boxer from California) to hopelessly challenge the presidential election results from Ohio during the electoral college count on Thursday.

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