Hurricane Katrina revealed more dramatically and tragically than ever before in recent memory just how much we need public institutions to protect the public and meet critical needs. There are bills pending in Congress that go in completely the wrong direction -- dismantling government rather than creating the public institutions we need. The common themes are (1) shutting down government programs through mandatory sunsets, and (2) giving the White House the power to reorganize government with no effective oversight from Congress. Click the links above for more information, including downloads of bill text. Bills that mandate sunsets or call for power to shut down government programs:

• S. 1399
• H.R. 973
• H.R. 3277
• H.R. 3282

Bills that would give President Bush the power to reorganize government programs with little or no oversight:

• S. 1155
• S. 1399
• H.R. 2470
• H.R. 3276

And don't miss OMB Watch's testimony on two of those bills in the House.