Democrats Failing on CO2 Regulation: Part 1

Jun 8, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The Bush administration probably wouldn't spend so much time obfuscating greenhouse gas regulation if it knew Congressional Democrats were just as willing to do the job. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) is pushing legislation which would forbid states from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The proposal would, as The Washington Post put it today, "kneecap" the effort of 12 states to institute their own program. Under the Clean Air Act, those states need EPA to grant them a waiver in order to begin regulating. The proposal removes EPA's authority to grant those waivers.

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Obey's Earmarks Antics Attracting Attention

Jun 7, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Once again, House Appropriations chair Rep. David Obey has moved the goalpost on earmarks. Last week, Obey announced that he would ignore reforms adopted by the House on Jan. 5 requiring that earmarks and their sponsors be identified in spending bills when they are introduced. Instead, he said he would delay the inclusion of earmarks into spending bills until they are in conference, when they can no longer be removed from the bill by amendment. Yesterday, Obey shifted his position. His new rule:

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Approps Update

Jun 7, 2007 by Craig Jennings

The House Appropriations Committee got down to business this week and approved four bills for full floor consideration. You will note that all of them exceed the president's request. Given OMB Director Rob Portman's warning that he will recomend that the president veto any bill over the president's request, the veto pen might run out of ink before all spending bills are completed. Appropriations Bills Approved by Appropriations Committee (billions of dollars) Bill Appropriated Amount Over President's Request Energy & Water 31.6 1.2 Homeland Security 36.3 2.1

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Environmental Group Founder Guilty of Obstruction of Justice in Abramoff Lobbying Case

Jun 7, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

Last October, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-MT) released a report examining interactions between five tax-exempt organizations and lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates, finding instances of serious abuse. And now most recently, the founder of one of those organizations was charged with tax evasion and obstruction of justice as part of the continuing federal criminal investigation.

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Democrats Stand-up to Bush's EPA Budget Cuts

Jun 7, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Back in February and March, Reg•Watch blogged about President Bush's proposed budget which called for cuts in EPA funding. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has been submissive in allowing the White House to hack away at his agency's resources.

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Military Construction-VA Bill to Test GOP Veto Threats

Jun 7, 2007 by Dana Chasin

There's nothing unusual about a 56-0 vote committee vote to approve the FY 2008 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs spending bill, as occurred yesterday when the House Appropriations Committee OK'ed the $109 billion measure, $4 billion above the president's request -- $2.5 billion of which goes to politically unassailable funding for veterans' health care. Only a little more unusual is holding a roll call vote where the bill has unanimous support.

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Avandia Controversy Proves the Need for Better Regulatory Authority

Jun 7, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The Washington Post recaps yesterday's House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the safety of the diabetes drug Avandia manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. According to the article, a New England Journal of Medicine analysis "concluded that Avandia increases the risk of heart attack by 43 percent." However, FDA is "still analyzing conflicting data" about the drug's effects.

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Monthly Budget Review: June, 2007

Jun 7, 2007 by Adam Hughes*

CBO's Monthly Budget Review has been released: The federal government incurred a deficit of $152 billion during the first eight months of fiscal year 2007, CBO estimates, $75 billion less than the shortfall recorded through May of last year.

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The Equality Quagmire (Made Worse) By Robert J. Samuelson

Jun 6, 2007 by Dana Chasin

In a no-need-to-read piece in today's Washington Post, someone named Robert J. Samuelson makes a hash out of a barely-discernible thesis relating in some way to rising inequality in America and why it really isn't such a bad thing:
  • "It has not prevented most Americans from getting ahead."
  • "On the whole, the economy that produces these growing inequalities outperforms the one that created [sic] more statistical equality."
Not sure which tense that sentence was in, but it's not as mind-numbing as this one, for those who like brain teasers:

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    While Candidates Publicize their Personal Religious Journeys, Faith Groups More Careful to Discuss Candidates

    Jun 6, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

    Religious oriented nonprofits and churches are sure to take heed of the similar headlines appearing in the press, such as, "Religion, politics go hand-in-hand in '08 race,". In light of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Political Activities Compliance Initiate (PACI) and its latest report on the 2006 cases, many groups may feel pulled in opposite directions.

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