Press Room

OMB Watch to Congress: Flaws Make PART a Useless Evaluation Tool

WASHINGTON, June 13--OMB Watch told Congress today that the Bush administration's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) draws biased conclusions about federal program efficacy and should thus continue to be largely ignored by Congress.

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Commentary on Failed Estate Tax Repeal Effort

By Gary Bass, executive director, OMB Watch
Today, the Senate voted to stop debate on legislation to repeal the estate tax, holding at bay once again the well-funded 20 year campaign to kill the tax. OMB Watch applauds those senators who voted to preserve the estate tax and save the American people $1 trillion in the process. Opponents of the estate tax will continue their push and will now likely turn to "reform" as a backdoor to gutting the tax.

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House Passes Toxic Right-to-Know Amendment

WASHINGTON, May 22--Amid contentious debate over its version of the Interior Appropriations Bill, the House of Representatives made an important stand for the environment and the public's right to know about toxic pollution.

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The House Stood Up for the Public's Right to Know

A Statement by Sean Moulton
OMB Watch commends the U.S. House of Representatives for sending a strong message by passing a measure to preserve the public's right to know about toxic pollution in communities across the country.

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With Vote Nearing in the Senate, Experts Speak Out Against Estate Tax Repeal

WASHINGTON, April 21--Key experts and stakeholders came together Wednesday to call on the U.S. Senate to reject full repeal or "backdoor repeal" of the estate tax next month. Numerous organizations including unions, anti-poverty, public interest, and faith groups are hoping to prevent estate tax repeal, which will cost $1 trillion over the next decade. Participants added a diverse range of perspectives to the argument that repeal of the tax is impractical, unnecessary, and too costly.

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Organizations Urge Federal Election Commission to Quickly Resolve Grassroots Lobbying Question

Groups call on Commission to Lift Election Law Ban for Certain Broadcasts WASHINGTON, April 20--Organizations called on the commission to act before Labor Day, when current law will otherwise silence nonpartisan broadcasts mentioning federal candidates made by nonprofit organizations.

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ALERT: Apr. 19 Press Teleconference on Upcoming Senate Vote to Repeal Estate Tax

Repeal Will Add $1 Trillion to the Deficit as a Part of "Robin Hood in Reverse" Budget Priorities
Republicans in the Senate, led by Majority Leader Bill Frist, are planning to hold a vote on repeal of the estate tax in May. The revenue lost could otherwise help fund education and health care, pay down the national debt, or address other pressing national priorities. Repeal would also widen the already enormous gulf that separates the ultra-rich and the rest of us.

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Report Finds Animal ID System, Cattle Feed Rules Long Overdue, but Stalled by Industry Influence

Despite the discovery of three cows infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, measures to ensure the safety of the food supply and to keep foreign markets open to American beef have been stalled, according to a report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), OMB Watch, and Consumer Federation of America.

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Groups Ask Congress to Reject Program Sunset Proposals

Nonprofit groups spoke out today against sunset proposals now being pushed by House conservatives. The proposals could create a single unelected commission to review every federal program, and would mandate that all federal programs automatically "sunset"--completely cease--after a fixed period, unless Congress intervened.

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Sadly, Vote to Increase Debt Limit Saw No Real Debate

Statement of Adam Hughes, Director of Federal Fiscal Policy
Yesterday the Senate voted 52-48 to increase the statutory debt limit once again. The limit now sits at $9 trillion. The vote to increase the debt limit was necessary in order to avoid a government default, yet Senate Republican leaders pushed hard for this vote to take place without proper debate and without giving Senators a chance to offer amendments, some of which could potentially help to slow the rapid run-up of debt in years to come.

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