Recent filings in a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other nonprofits expose FBI use of counterterrorism task forces to monitor and investigate the activities of groups that have vocally opposed Bush administration policies. The suit, brought under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), seeks expedited processing of the ACLU's request for records on surveillance of nonprofit groups and information about the structure and funding of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force program.

Although Senate Republicans still lack the 60 votes needed for estate tax repeal, they may schedule a procedural vote, in order to assess where each Senator stands on the issue, according to media reports late last week. The vote would come after weeks of Senate negotiations on possible reform specifics that have yielded little in the way of a compromise. If a vote does occur this week, it would likely serve to increase pressure on Democrats to reach a compromise, and also, according to a July 22 Wall Street Journal article, to "smoke out reluctant senators" just before the August recess.

The following is an update on bills introduced so far in the 109th Congress that could affect regulatory policy in the public interest. By Bill Number | By Subject Bills to Watch H.R. 185 — Program Assessment and Results Act

On July 14, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), introduced the "Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act of 2005" (S. 1398), a bill that amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) to require more extensive reporting for lobbying firms and nonprofits. The bill would increase grassroots and coalition lobbying disclosure requirements, curb privately funded travel by members of Congress, and strengthen enforcement and oversight of ethics and lobbying disclosure rules by the Senate Clerk's office.