Budget Bill Vote on Wed.; CBO Releases Cost Estimate

Jan 30, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

The long-awaited House vote on the Senate-passed budget reconciliation bill is taking place this Wednesday, February 1. The vote is expected to be extremely close, as a handful of moderate Republicans who previously voted for the bill are expected to vote against it this time around.

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Anti-Reg Trend Watch

Jan 30, 2006 by Guest Blogger

The SBA Office of Advocacy recently released its report on the proceedings of a recent symposium on the Hill about the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Click here for the report, here for appendices. Of note:

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    Great Article on the "Money Habit" of Congress

    Jan 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

    On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs held a hearing on current lobby reform proposals. Dana Milbanks from the Washington Post provided some interesting commentary. The senators yesterday sounded like addicts, powerless to overcome their reliance on lobbyist cash. "It's out of control," lamented Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), a recipient of $573,000 from lobbyists and lawyers over five years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. "We all hate it. And it's about time we collectively think about how we can get off the treadmill."

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    Dreier Moves To Ban Former Members From Floor, Gym

    Jan 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

    The House this week will kick off the second session of the 109th Congress by kicking lobbyists out of an inner sanctum: the members’ gym. Rep. David Dreier (R-CA)the chairman of the House Rules Committee, said he will introduce a resolution on Tuesday that would bar former members who were registered lobbyists from the House floor and House gymnasium. The full House would vote on the measure a day later. Past members already are banned from the chamber if a bill they are lobbying is pending before the full House or any committee. Former members who are registered lobbyists would be allowed to enter the chamber only on ceremonial occasions, such as Former Member Day.

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    Lobby Reform Resource

    Jan 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

    At his website, More Soft Money, Hard Law, Bob Bauer has created a one stop shop for all things lobby reform. Check it out!

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    Scrappy Idealists Take on Congress

    Jan 29, 2006 by Guest Blogger

    Although this is mostly an article about earmarks and "pork", it is an interesting article into the world of the watchdogs.

    From the Washington Post: These are dark days for earmarks.

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    Tax & Budget Talking Points; New Budget Blog

    Jan 27, 2006 by Guest Blogger

    The Fair Taxes for All Coalition has released new talking points on Congress' plan to cut the budget and pass new tax cuts. The talking points cover the new deficit projections, the possibility of extending capital gains and dividends cuts, and this year's new tax cuts.

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    State-by-State Analysis of Income Inequality

    Jan 26, 2006 by Guest Blogger

    The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute have released a study called "Pulling Apart: A State-by-State Analysis of Income Trends." The study examines income inequality and finds that the gap between the highest-income families and poor and middle-income families grew significantly between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. The study finds that during this time, the incomes of the bottom fifth of families grew more slowly than the incomes of the top fifth of families in 38 states.

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    CBO Projects $337 Billion Deficit for 2006

    Jan 26, 2006 by Matthew Madia

    Today the Congressional Budget Office projected a $337 billion deficit for 2006. The increase over last year's $318 billion recorded deficit is largely attributed to hurricane costs and the introduction of the Medicare prescription drug benefit this month. $337 billion is far less than the Office of Management and Budget's estimate stating that the deficit will exceed $400 billion this year.

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    Unmet Needs: Lead in Drinking Water

    Jan 26, 2006 by Guest Blogger

    A new GAO report reveals that there are significant gaps in our regulatory protections against lead in drinking water, with corresponding gaps in our knowledge about whether or not children and families are sufficiently protected:

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