The Graham Files

New from OMB Watch: The Graham Files, a compilation of OMB Watch's analysis and news reports from John Graham's tenure as administrator of OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

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Amid Reform Frenzy, Senate Democrats Introduce Lobby Reform Bill

Since the guilty plea by lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Congress has been hurriedly preparing lobby and ethics reform legislation. Republicans announced their ideas at a Jan. 17 press conference that seemed mostly designed to pre-empt the unveiling of Democrats plan on Jan. 18. The Senate Democrats followed their press event with the introduction of a comprehensive bill authored by Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). In our view, the Reid bill is a solid beginning, but falls short of adequately addressing the culture of corruption that surrounds Washington politics today. To follow is an analysis of the Reid bill and its impact on lobbying generally and nonprofit lobbying specifically.

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Still Fewer Heirs Will See Fortunes Taxed in 2006

On Jan. 1, the value of assets that can pass tax-free from one generation to the next rose from $1.5 million to $2 million (or $4 million per couple), an increase that was scheduled under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA), passed by Congress in 2001. This expansion of tax-free inheritance means an even smaller fraction of a percent of Americans will be subject to the tax in 2006.

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Risk Bulletin Advances Graham Anti-Reg Agenda

From cost-benefit guidelines to the new draft policy on risk assessments, White House regulatory czar John Graham has steadily proceeded with a long-range plan laying the groundwork for dramatic limits on public safeguards.

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High Court Opens Door to Campaign Finance Rule Challenge

Less than a week after oral arguments were held the Supreme Court ruled on Jan. 23 that the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002's (BCRA) ban on "electioneering communications" can be challenged on a case-by-case basis. The ruling opens the door for the Wisconsin Right to Life Committee (WRTL) to pursue its claim that BCRA is unconstitutional as applied to its grassroots lobbying communications. The unanimous opinion in Wisconsin Right to Life Committee v.

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IRS to Step Up Nonprofit Enforcement in 2006

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Mark Everson, speaking to the Greater Washington Society of CPAs, recently announced that in 2006 the IRS will increase its enforcement efforts for exempt organizations, building on a trend of the past few years. Among the agency's top priorities, according to Everson, will be enforcement of the ban on political intervention by charities and religious organizations.

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Without Addressing Budget Process, Lobbying Reform Doomed to Fail

Since lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and income tax evasion, Democrats and Republicans have eagerly jumped on the lobbying and ethics reform bandwagon. Amid the flurry of proposals to overhaul Washington's lobbying system, however, one of the primary mechanisms through which lobbyists see their influence pay off--the system of budget earmarks--has been largely ignored.

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Government Secrecy's Latest Victims: Whales

According to documents released to the Natural Resources Defense Council, all references to the possibility that naval sonar may have caused 37 whales to swim ashore and die in North Carolina last year were deleted from a government report on the incident. The revelation came as the Department of the Navy nears the close of its public comment period on its plans to build an underwater sonar training range in the same North Carolina location.

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EPA Gets an Earful on Plan to Reduce Toxic Reporting

More than 70,000 citizens voiced opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposals to cut chemical reporting under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), during the agency's public comment period that ended Jan. 13. Those speaking out against EPA's proposals included state agencies, health professionals, scientists, environmentalists, labor, Attorneys General, and even Congress, all of whom raised substantive concerns with the plan.

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White House Called Out on Manipulating Budget Forecasts

Jan 24, 2006 by Matthew Madia

Stan Collender, contributing editor of the National Journal, makes two excellent points calling out the White House for their faulty and ideological budget projections in his January 17 column Wolf! (subscription only).

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