Political Interference | Center for Effective Government

OMB Changes Difficult to Document

Over the course of the Bush administration, OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which reviews and must approve all major regulatory proposals, has changed 53 out of 85 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules, 100 out of 157 rules from Health & Human Services (HHS), and 24 out of 30 Dept. of Labor (DOL) rules.

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OMB Guts EPA Standards to Limit Construction Runoff

Using its regulatory review authority, the White House Office of Management and Budget completely gutted an EPA proposal to limit runoff from construction and development sites -- the largest source of pollution in coastal waters and estuaries in the United States.

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OMB Reviewing EPA Report on Children's Health

In an effort well outside the scope of its traditional activities, the Office of Management and Budget is reviewing an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on children’s health before publication -- the first time, to our knowledge, OMB has ever involved itself in the shaping of a scientific study.

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No Roses In CBO's Garden -- New CBO Estimates of Increased Deficit, Uncertain Future

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released two analyses of the country’s current budget picture that anticipate a deficit even larger than that predicted in March and confesses to a great deal of uncertainty for the long-term budget forecast.

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Bush Signs E.O. on Regulatory Impacts on Small Business

On August 14, President Bush signed a new executive order that directs federal agencies to establish "written procedures and policies" to "thoroughly review" the potential impacts of new regulation on small businesses, small governmental jurisdictions, and small organizations.

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Administration Issues Weakened Medical Privacy Rules

Over the objections of privacy advocates, the Bush administration on August 14 issued new standards on the handling of patient medical records, replacing protections adopted in the last month of the Clinton administration that were strongly opposed by HMOs, insurance companies, and pharmaceuticals.

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Diesel Rule, Rollback of Power Plant Regs to Move Ahead Despite Congressional Appeals

The Bush administration last week reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen diesel-engine standards but at the same time to rollback enforcement efforts against aging coal-fired power plants after receiving separate Congressional requests that it reconsider.

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American Forestry and Paper Association White Papers on Risk-Based Exemptions in EPA rules

These three White Papers from the American Forestry and Paper Association (AF&PA) advocate a risk-based exemption for EPA Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rules. EPA cited the papers in its proposed rule entitled "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Brick and Structural Clay Products Manufacturing; and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Clay Ceramics Manufacturing," on which it is now accepting public comments. AF&PA White Paper on Concentration-based De Minimus Applicability on Exemptions in the Wood Products MACT

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OMB Hijacks Clean Air Standards

In what appears to be part of a broad effort to reshape air regulation, OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) apparently forced EPA to withdraw two proposed emissions standards for stationary internal combustion engines and industrial boilers, insisting that the agency make changes that may be inconsistent with the Clean Air Act.

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Testimony on the Regulatory Right-to-Know Act

Gary D. Bass, Ph.D. testified before the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs on the Regulatory Right-to-Know Act and Congressional Office of Regulatory Analysis today. Statement of Gary D. Bass, Ph.D. Executive Director OMB Watch Before the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs On The Regulatory Right-to-Know Act and Congressional Office of Regulatory Analysis April 22, 1999 Thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding S. 59, the Regulatory Right-to-Know Act (Regulatory Accounting), and the establishment of a Congressional Office of Regulatory Analysis (CORA).

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