ALERT: Apr. 19 Press Teleconference on Upcoming Senate Vote to Repeal Estate Tax

Repeal Will Add $1 Trillion to the Deficit as a Part of "Robin Hood in Reverse" Budget Priorities
Republicans in the Senate, led by Majority Leader Bill Frist, are planning to hold a vote on repeal of the estate tax in May. The revenue lost could otherwise help fund education and health care, pay down the national debt, or address other pressing national priorities. Repeal would also widen the already enormous gulf that separates the ultra-rich and the rest of us.

read in full

Congress Increases Criticism of Bush's Supplemental Requests

Apr 17, 2006 by Guest Blogger

A growing number of lawmakers are increasing their criticism of the dependence on repeated supplemental or emergency funding requests from the White House. While in the past the criticism has been from a limited group of lawmakers (mostly deficit hawks) and was mostly rhetorical, the increasing unease of lawmakers has pushed congressional appropriators to take action.

read in full

Washington Post On Congress' Tax Gimmickry

Apr 17, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Following up on a OMB Watch Budget Blog posting late last month, the Washington Post has an excellent editorial in this morning's paper criticizing Congress for "resorting to a [tax] gimmick that is even more egregious than their usual tactics."

read in full

Who Is Doing Your Taxes?

Apr 17, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

Interesting article yesterday from the Associated Press about who prepares the tax forms for the members of Congress who are responsible for writing the tax code. Turns out three out of the top four lawmakers in Congress who have jurisdiction over the U.S. tax code use private preparers to file their tax returns. The lawmaker who still prepares his own taxes is Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), who chairs the Ways and Means Committee. About sixty percent of Americans use a private preparation company or service when it comes to filing their own returns.

read in full

Good Jobs, Safe Jobs: Protect Workers Now

Apr 15, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Worker Memorial Day is coming up -- Friday, April 28. It is a time to reflect upon the vital importance of safety and health for the men and women of America who work for a living. Get more info here.

read in full

Oppose Sunsets Whenever You See Your Congressman!

Apr 14, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Your representative in the House is probably at home from Washington for the Easter recess, holding town hall forums, making speeches, and kissing babies. Now is the perfect time to let your representative know that you are concerned about radical proposals for sunset commissions! Any chance you get -- whether it's a question-and-answer session or just going down the line to shake your member's hand -- is a chance to register your concerns. Take it! Print out our tips (PDF | Word), or read below:

read in full

Beyond the Propaganda of Privatization

Apr 14, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Law professor and CPR member scholar Amy Sinden has a provocative new article takes down the arguments for market-based and privatization solutions to the tragedy of the commons: [A]s academics and policymakers clamor to distance themselves from the now dowdy and stilted fashions of 1970s-style “command-and-control regulation” and to embrace the virtues of the free market, privatization has replaced government intervention as the preferred solution to the tragedy of the commons. Right wing ideologues pump out books, articles, and monographs touting the virtues of “free-market

read in full

Sunset Commissions: Experiences in the States

While proponents of a sunset commission in Congress, particularly Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), have touted the achievement of sunset commissions in the states, evidence suggests that this case may have been overstated.

read in full

Sunshine on Sunset Proposals

Apr 14, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Word is beginning to spread about the radical sunset commission idea, which may be introduced as part of a package of budget process reform proposals. Check out the write-up on Tapped.

read in full

Another Potential Case of Mad Cow in North America

Apr 14, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is announcing that testing is underway to confirm a suspected case of mad cow. If Canada does have another mad cow case, that country's food safety agency will probably be able to trace back from that cow to locate other cows that may have consumed the same feed, which could be at the root of the infection. The U.S. has resisted the animal ID system that would make that same level of traceback possible here; instead, a recent USDA announcement calls for a system that would be administered by a private organization controlled by the cattlemen's industry.

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.