IRS Reports on 2006 Political Activities Enforcement Program, Releases Guidance

On June 8, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released a report on the initial results of its 2006 program enforcing the ban on partisan electioneering by charities and religious organizations. The same day, it also released Revenue Ruling 2007-41, which provides guidance nonprofits can rely on in planning permissible voter education and mobilization activity. The results of the enforcement program to date show a continued low level of violations.

read in full

Restored EPA Budget Holds Hope for Libraries and Labs

On June 7, the House Appropriations Committee approved a $27.6 billion Interior-Environment spending bill that increases the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) FY 2008 budget to $8.1 billion, a $361 million increase over current spending. It is also $887 million more than President Bush's budget request, which will likely trigger a veto threat.

read in full

Blue Dogs Seek to Seize Fiscal Responsibility Mantle

Jun 12, 2007 by Adam Hughes*

The Washington Post reports today that the Democratis Blue Dog Coalition plans to introduce legislation shortly to impose caps on some spending, enshrine pay-as-you-go rules in federal law and authorize automatic spending cuts to enforce them ... amend the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget and to create an array of budget provisions that would focus more attention on what it sees as pork-barrel spending.

read in full

Controversial FEC Confirmation Hearing Tomorrow

Jun 12, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Tomorrow the Senate Rules and Administration Committee will hold a hearing on four nominations to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Hans A. von Spakovsky is currently serving as a temporary commissioner on the FEC and will be considered tomorrow for a six-year term. Von Spakovsky's nomination has become a hotly contested issue.

read in full

Congress Still Struggling to Settle Earmark Disclosure Procedures

Five months after the House adopted institutional earmark reform rules (H. Res. 6) and the Senate passed statutory requirements governing earmark disclosure (S. 1), confusion reigns in both chambers on how earmark disclosure rules will work and who will administer them. Key members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees have unilaterally altered the rules in the intervening months, and even with appropriations season upon us, it appears the disclosure rules and their application remain in flux.

read in full

Kyl Unveiled as FOIA Foiler

Shortly after supporters of the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in Our National (OPEN) Government Act began aggressive online and telephone campaigns to discover the senator who had placed an anonymous hold on the bill, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) acknowledged that he was blocking the legislation. Kyl explained that the move was at the behest of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which he explained had "uncharacteristically strong objections to the bill."

read in full

House to Drug Makers: "Hey, That's Our Job!"

Jun 12, 2007 by Matthew Madia

This week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will begin tackling its version of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) reauthorization/FDA reform bill the Senate passed in early May. The House has already uncovered disturbing (but not surprising) information about the bill. FDA drafted and provided to Congress the basis for the Senate bill. However, FDA apparently had a lot of help from the pharmaceutical industry in composing the legislative language. According to a report in today's Washington Post:

read in full

The Department of Homeland Security's Dangerous Pattern

On June 5, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, wrote an op-ed in The Hill criticizing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the hasty development of ineffective programs. Thompson cites DHS's failed efforts to implement an integrated information-sharing network, but, as he notes, this is merely one of many examples of misplaced priorities and ineffective leadership at DHS. The Department's attempt to build a robust chemical security program could serve as another example.

read in full

The Benefits of Cultural Exchange

Jun 12, 2007 by Matt Lewis

I just got back from a trip to Spain, and I thought I'd share a few of the things that made it hard to come back. Or rather things that, were they also in America, it would have been much easier to come back.
  • Fast Trains Spain has very fast trains. Seems like the benefits are pretty self-explanatory, but I just thought I'd mention that being on an extremely fast train is really fun, all practicality aside.
  • Holidays

read in full

Long-delayed EPA Risk Assessment of Endocrine Disruptors Exhibits Flaws

In its ninth year of work on the issue, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is about to begin the risk assessment process for an important but little-known group of chemicals called endocrine disruptors. However, scientists are concerned early indications of the assessment's construction will produce scientifically suspect results.

read in full

Pages

  • ©2015 Center for Effective Government
  • All Rights Reserved.
  • This an archive site of the materials produced by the Center for Effective Government (formerly OMB Watch) and is maintained by the Project On Government Oversight.