Citizen Health & Safety

Toyota and Regulators Friendly on Lots of Safety Issues, Document Says

Feb 23, 2010 by Matthew Madia

Toyota’s cozy relationship with regulators extends beyond the sudden acceleration issue that has forced the automaker to recall millions of cars.

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Patchwork Improvements Continue for E-Rulemaking

Several federal government websites have recently incorporated changes that better highlight regulatory issues and expand online access to rulemaking information. However, the changes appear independent of one another, not parts of a conscious effort by the Obama administration to transform the government's beleaguered e-rulemaking systems.

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FDA Announces New Approach to Inspections of Imported Products

On Feb. 4, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new approach to regulating imported products – including food and medical devices – to enhance the agency's ability to respond to the increased globalization of commerce. The new risk-based approach to inspections and product tracking will be in place nationally in 2010.

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Last-Minute Changes Will Improve Air Pollution Monitoring, EPA Says

Feb 17, 2010 by Matthew Madia

Allegations that the White House watered down an EPA rule on air pollution monitors are false, according to a senior EPA official who says the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) actually made the rule stronger.

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For Regulatory Agencies, Intrigue in an Otherwise Bleak Budget

President Barack Obama's proposed budgetary spending freeze would have varying impacts on the regulatory agencies responsible for protecting public health and welfare. Oversight of industry and solving new and neglected problems may dwindle as environmental and consumer safety regulators are forced to operate in a constrained fiscal environment.

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Annual Cost-Benefit Report Gives Clues to Regulatory Changes

The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) annual report to Congress on the costs and benefits of federal regulations provides clues to the changes the Obama administration will seek in the regulatory process. While the report includes some important changes to the way agencies might approach calculating the impacts of new rules, it does little to suggest that major changes to the central role OMB plays in the process are likely.

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Transparency Community Voices Concerns over Data.gov

Feb 4, 2010 by Roger Strother*

Yesterday, a group of organizations, including OMB Watch, submitted concerns with the high-value datasets published on Data.gov in compliance with the requirements of the Open Government Directive (OGD) issued on Dec. 8. The OGD required that agencies submit at least three high value datasets within 45 days through Data.gov.   These groups outlined the major problems with the site and its implementation thus far.  I have summarized these issues below.

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What is the Obama Administration’s Record on Regulation?

Feb 4, 2010 by Matthew Madia

Today at 3 p.m., OMB Watch will be webcasting a panel discussion titled, The Obama Administration and Public Protections: A First-Year Regulatory Assessment. The panel discussion will address whether regulatory agencies are being proactive on a number of important issues, such as workplace safety, consumer protections, and the environment.

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A Look at Regulatory Agencies in Obama’s Frugal Budget

Feb 3, 2010 by Matthew Madia

The Office of Management and Budget unveiled President Obama’s FY 2011 budget request on Monday. Obama has decided to propose a spending freeze for discretionary, non-defense budget items. (See OMB Watch’s statement here.) Because Obama has proposed an overall freeze and not a line-item-by-line-item freeze, spending could be transferred to other areas to reflect administration priorities.

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OMB Watch Calls on the Obama Administration to Revise Regulatory Process

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2010—President Barack Obama issued a memorandum to executive department heads and agencies on Jan. 30, 2009, calling for a revision to the principles guiding the federal regulatory process. The memo required agencies to submit within 100 days recommendations for a new executive order. The memo also precipitated a call for public comments by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to gather the public's ideas for reforming the regulatory process. At the one-year mark of his administration, OMB Watch calls on the president to complete this process by issuing a revised executive order.

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