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Taxonomy: Term ID

After Brinksmanship, PATRIOT Act Is Extended One Month

Among the fireworks at the close of the 2005 congressional session, the extension of the 16 sunset provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act underwent a series of last-minute brinksmanship maneuvers.

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Two New Tax Cuts Benefit the Wealthy

As a fitting kick-start to a year in which President Bush is expected to push hard to make his expensive and unbalanced tax cuts permanent, two new tax cuts went into effect that almost exclusively benefit high-income households. These tax cuts, referred to as "PEP" and "Pease," were enacted in 2001 but did not go into effect until 2006--an underhanded but politically advantageous move that kept the total cost of the 2001 tax cut package within set budget limitations.

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Congress Has Yet to Pass Budget, Tax Cuts

The budget and tax reconciliation measures laid out in Congress's April 2005 budget resolution took up a good deal of lawmakers' time and energy throughout last fall, and continue to linger unfinished, even as the release of the president's Fiscal Year 2007 budget rapidly approaches. The House of Representatives, in fact, is scheduled to vote on the final budget bill one week before the president is scheduled to release his budget on Feb. 6.

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Concern Grows Over Unauthorized Domestic Spying

The Bush administration's acknowledgement of secret and unauthorized domestic spying since the 9/11 attacks has roiled both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. On Dec. 16, The New York Times reported President Bush authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to eavesdrop on domestic phone calls and emails without a wiretapping warrant, kicking off a storm of protest just as renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act was being considered. OMB Watch responded to the unfolding events in a Dec. 20 statement. The following is a summary of major events since the Times story broke.

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Collins' Revised Chemical Security Bill: An Improving Grade

Shortly before Congress broke for recess in December, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, introduced the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005 (S. 2145). The bill, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Thomas Carper (D-DE) and Carl Levin (D-MI), is a significant improvement over the draft bill previously evaluated by OMB Watch (see Failing Grade on Chemical Security, The OMB Watcher [Dec. 13, 2005]), but still fails to require reporting on the use of safer technologies.

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Abramoff Plea Brings New Lobby Reform Bills

With the recent plea bargain made by high-powered lobbyist Jack Abramoff, federal lobbying reform bills have gained momentum in Congress, with Democrats and Republicans vying to lead the pack and shake the "Abramoff taint" in time for re-election.

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Poor Hurt By IRS Actions to Freeze Funds

Jan 10, 2006 by Matthew Madia

The Internal Revenue Service's taxpayer advocate, Nina Olson, told Congress in the annual report released today that tax refunds sought by hundreds of thousands of poor Americans were denied by the IRS and blocked for years to come. This was done because a computer program run by the criminal investigation division of the IRS selected the returns as part of the questionable refund program. Olson, whose staff looked at a sample of suspected returns, found only one in five to be questionable.

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More Government Spying on Nonprofits Revealed

New documents released to the press in December 2005 show federal agencies have been infiltrating and conducting surveillance on a wide range of nonprofits, in what appears to be a policy of treating lawful dissent as an act of terrorism. An NBC story revealed that the Pentagon has used a program meant to protect U.S. military installations, in order to spy on peace and other groups. In addition, FBI files released as part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in December 2005 show investigations of groups concerned with everything from poverty relief to the environment.

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White House Proposes Guidelines to Control Agency Risk Assessments

When it rains, it pours: the same day the White House closed the comment period on its proposed bulletin to govern agency guidance practices, the White House Office of Management and Budget released a proposed bulletin to govern agency risk assessments.

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Congress to Increase Debt Limit for Fourth Time In Four Years

Jan 10, 2006 by Matthew Madia

Last April Congress called for an increase in the debt limit -- the national debt is expected to hit $8,184 billion in mid-February -- however they have yet to act. Lawmakers are expected to take up the issue in February after voting on final tax and budget reconciliation bills, marking the fourth time during President Bush's presidency the debt limit has needed to be raised.

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Jan 10, 2006 by Matthew Madia

Jan 10, 2006 by Matthew Madia

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