Leaping Before Looking

May 10, 2007 by Craig Jennings

It would be absurd to spend $10,000 to generate $1,000* in revenue. To avoid this sort of folly, organizations typically ascertain how much a new project will cost and how much revenue it will generate before they decide to implement it. Not so much for acting IRS Commissioner Kevin Brown (no link, sorry): [In testimony before the Financial Services and General Government Subcommitte] Brown said money collected by [private collection] agencies contributed funds to the treasury IRS does not have the resources to collect.

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OMB Watch Urges House to Support Disclosure of Grassroots Lobbying Expenditures

On May 8, OMB Watch sent a letter to the House of Representatives, urging members to support the disclosure of federal grassroots lobbying expenditures. The letter stresses that disclosure of funding sources, particularly those behind big money grassroots lobbying campaigns, is a critical element in rooting out corruption and establishing a system that creates public trust.

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Budget Resolution: Senate Instruction Votes Ahead

May 9, 2007 by Dana Chasin

The Senate reached a consent agreement today on motions to instruct conferees to the budget resolution. House-Senate negotiators on the FY 2008 budget resolution have begun debating and voting on motions, and the Senate has completed the procedural steps needed to appoint its conferees on the measure.

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More Bad News for Bush's Reading First Program

May 9, 2007 by Adam Hughes*

The hits just keep on coming for Reading First, one of President Bush's signature education programs. We reported last month that the program had selected the same contractor that was implementing the program to evaluate its effectiveness. This was on the heels of reports last fall that the Reading First program was using favoritism to steer program funds to certain reading programs over others.

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Which Way Did the Veto Go? Both Ways!

May 9, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Just so there's no confusion, here are details and status for H.R. 2206 and 2207, the two post-veto Supplemental bills emerging from the House, both facing likely votes this week and potential presidential vetoes thereafter:
  • H.R. 2206, "The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007." Introduced by Rep. David Obey (D-WI), expected to be voted on as early as tomorrow; the president promised today to veto this bill.

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    MSHA Says Lightning Caused Sago Disaster

    May 9, 2007 by Matthew Madia

    The Mine Safety and Health Administration has released a report citing lightning as the cause of the Sago mine disaster which killed 12 miners, according to The New York Times. As OMB Watch reported in March, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) claims friction within the mine caused the explosion. UMWA President Cecil Roberts called the MSHA report "far-fetched."

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    PDUFA Reauthorization Passes in Senate

    May 9, 2007 by Matthew Madia

    Moments ago, the Senate voted 93-1 to pass S. 1082, The Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act. The two primary aims of the legislation are to renew the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and to generally strengthen the regulatory authority of the FDA.

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    Senate Chairs Rain on Rangel/Neal AMT Reform Parade

    May 9, 2007 by Dana Chasin

    Details are emerging regarding the AMT reform package gestating in Rep. Richard Neal's (D-MA) House Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee and to be announced in June by Ways and Means chair Charles Rangle (D-NY). The draft package is said to include tax benefits aimed at low-income people: increasing the standard income-tax deduction, expanding the reach of the refundable child tax credit and making the earned income tax credit available to more people without children.

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    House to Vote on Short-Term Iraq Financing

    May 8, 2007 by Dana Chasin

    Within a few short hours today, our blog this morning, Mixed Signals on Short-Term War Funding Idea was overtaken by events. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) until very recently publicly opposed a short-term approach to Iraq war funding. The Murtha/Obey plan calls for providing $43 billion, or half of the president's funding request, without the soldier withdrawal timetables or domestic funding in Supp. 1.0 -- but only through July.

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    House Action Suggests Budget Resolution Deal Close

    May 8, 2007 by Dana Chasin

    By a vote of 217-212 this afternoon, the House moved one step closer toward getting S Con Res 21, its version of the budget resolution, to a conference with the Senate. The following House members were appointed to the conference committee:
    • John M. Spratt Jr. (D-SC)
    • Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
    • Chet Edwards (D-TX)
    • Paul D. Ryan (R-WI)
    • J. Gresham Barrett, R-S.C.

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