Bad Acting

We here at REG•WATCH let positive thinking get the better of us. Yes, the White House did name Steven D. Aitken as the acting administrator of OIRA rather than John Morrall. The problem is that we were wrong in thinking John Morrall was going to be the acting administrator; he was named the acting deputy administrator. So, Aitken is the acting John Graham; Morrall is the acting Don Arbuckle. And, for a day there, in the absence of Arbuckle (deputy admin) serving as acting administrator for Graham, Morrall was in line to be the acting deputy acting as acting administrator.

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House Passes Toxic Right-to-Know Amendment

WASHINGTON, May 22--Amid contentious debate over its version of the Interior Appropriations Bill, the House of Representatives made an important stand for the environment and the public's right to know about toxic pollution.

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The House Stood Up for the Public's Right to Know

A Statement by Sean Moulton
OMB Watch commends the U.S. House of Representatives for sending a strong message by passing a measure to preserve the public's right to know about toxic pollution in communities across the country.

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Ways and Means Hearing on CFC and Employment Tax Issue

Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on charities and employment tax compliance. The hearing will take place on Thursday, May 25, 2006, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Witnesses will include the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

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Bush Breaks Campaign Promise to Not Raise Taxes

David Cay Johnston reports in this Sunday's New York Times that not only did President Bush break a campaign pledge to veto any tax increase, but the $70 billion tax cut that he signed into law this week increases taxes for 14- to 17-year-old kids saving for college The $69 billion tax cut bill that President Bush signed this week tripled tax rates for teenagers with college savings funds, despite Mr. Bush's 1999 pledge to veto any tax increase.

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Acting Better?

The White House has announced that the acting administrator of OIRA will not be John Morrall but, instead, Steven D. Aitken.

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Bush Requests $1.9 billion to Pay for Border Security

President Bush has officially asked Congress to fund his $1.9 billion border security initiative. The $1.9 billion in border security expenses is to be inserted into the supplemental spending bill currently making its way to conference. Incidentally, $1.9 billion is about the same amount of a border security provision that Senate Budget Committee chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH) authored. In fact, even the offsetting funds in both Bush's and Gregg's plans would come from the same line item. Perfect - same amounts, same offsets - so, what's the problem?

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House to Name Lobby Reform Conferees Soon

From Congress Daily PM:

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DKT International Case

From the AP: A federal judge on Thursday barred the Bush administration from requiring nonprofit AIDS groups to sign a pledge opposing prostitution and sex trafficking in exchange for federal dollars. U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said a law passed by Congress in 2003 violates the free-speech rights of groups such as DKT International Inc., which provides family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention programs in 11 countries. See our Watcher Story on a related case.

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