PDUFA-mania

Apr 17, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Today, a House panel held a hearing examining the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). PDUFA forces the drug industry to pay for safety studies of new drugs, but also allows the industry to dictate timelines for approval. Some members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee on Health expressed concern about the influence industry can exert through user fees. However, the general tenor of the hearing was that of assuming Congress would reauthorize PDUFA, and user fees would actually increase.

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Government Manipulates Research Again, This Time on Voter Fraud

Documents released as a result of oversight hearings in the House have revealed that the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the bipartisan body charged with implementing the Help America Vote Act, has rejected or altered research on voter fraud and intimidation and the impact of voter identification laws. This marks another instance in which the government has been accused of manipulating information.

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Byrd Adopts DeMint Earmarks Rule for Approrpriations

Apr 17, 2007 by Dana Chasin

This morning, Senate Appropriations chair Robert Byrd (D-WV) announced that his committee would immediately adopt the earmark disclosure rules advocated by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) in S. Res. 123 that we reported on last week. Under the new committee rules,
  • all earmarks in appropriations bills and reports would be identified, with the amount, the sponsor and the recipient of the earmark; the committee bill and report will be published on the Internet

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Polar Bears: Don't Ask, Don't Tell

New accusations of manipulating scientific information and gagging government scientists have arisen amidst the government's consideration of listing polar bears as an endangered species. Memos that censored scientists traveling to countries around the Arctic region and draft reports that were significantly altered in their final form have fueled these concerns. A leaked

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Lobby Reform? When?

Apr 17, 2007 by Amanda Adams*

The Hill reports that many groups are growing weary in the time lapse between the Senate passed ethics and lobbying reform bill and the one yet to be introduced in the House. "Growing nervous over possible further delay, ethics reform groups have stepped up their pressure on the House to introduce its companion piece to the Senate's lobbying reform bill." In response, efforts to uphold Congress' and the public's attention on the issue are crucial to avoid a final bill that is weak.

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Economic Policy Institute Panel Looks beyond Balanced Budget

A balanced budget can and does have a place in a responsible fiscal policy, but it is not the only element. That was the message presented April 12, when the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) hosted a panel discussion entitled "Beyond Balanced Budget Mania." Indeed, a strict concentration on balancing the budget could have deleterious effects on the economy, continue to leave health care out the reach of millions, and contribute to the ongoing decay of national infrastructure.

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Congress Urged to Reform USA PATRIOT Act

Congress continues to exercise oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) misuse of USA PATRIOT Act powers. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights held a hearing on the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General report on the misreporting and abuse of National Security Letter (NSL) powers. A common theme from the four witnesses at the hearing was the need for Congress to reform the USA PATRIOT Act and curtail the FBI's NSL powers.

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California Moves to Reinstate Reporting Standards Weakened by Federal EPA

California, a leader in strong environmental policy, has introduced a bill that would restore reporting requirements for toxic chemicals to pre-U.S. EPA rollback threshold levels. As the federal government weakens toxic waste regulation, states are taking charge of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and prioritizing the protection of their residents. The California Toxic Release Inventory Program Act of 2007 (Assembly Bill 833) maintains the previous level of reporting and prevents the federal changes from impacting the state program.

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Selling Taxes: Compounding the Problem

Apr 17, 2007 by Dana Chasin

The very problem that Matt alludes to at the end of his blog below, the inadequate "contextualizing and disaggregating" of fiscal issues by what are called "opinion leaders," is illustrated perfectly in a well-meaning but ultimately wonky piece published yesterday in tompaine.com, Hidden Truths of Progressive Taxes, by George Lakoff, senior fellow at the Rockridge Institute, and Bruce Budner, its ex

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Supplemental Debate: War of Words

In the weeks since the House and Senate each narrowly passed emergency supplemental appropriations bills, the president and congressional Democrats have engaged in a rhetorical battle over additional items above the president's record request, as well as language calling for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Bush has issued almost daily attacks against the bills since they passed, calling them attempts to "micromanage" the war and fund unnecessary projects. The two sides are scheduled to meet at the White House April 18, but the war of words is not expected to abate anytime soon.

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