Publications

Fighting Secrecy -- And Winning

Government secrecy has undermined the public’s ability to hold our leaders accountable for keeping our country secure and community safe. Yet the government’s claims that providing citizens with information harms national security may be overblown.

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DHS Releases CII Rule

Months after receiving comments on the proposed rule, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finally published the interim final rule for Critical Infrastructure Information (CII) in the Feb. 20 Federal Register. Although an interim final rule with a public comment period open until May 20, the rule went into effect immediately.

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FEC Sets Stage for Showdown on Scope of Campaign Finance Regulation

On Feb. 18 the Federal Election Commission (FEC) approved Advisory Opinion 2003-37, which was requested by a Republican group Americans for a Better Country (ABC). It expands regulation of political committees registered with the FEC, but does not impact other groups, including 501(c)(3) organizations. However, the commissioners’ deliberations indicated that further consideration of a “range of options” for setting new boundaries of regulation would be considered in a rulemaking proceeding beginning in March.

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EPA Reviews TRI Burden Reduction Comments

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to review the hundreds of comments it received on burden reduction proposals for the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program. EPA outlined the proposed changes in a 2003 white paper in Phase II of the TRI Stakeholder Dialogue.

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Bill to Repeal Restrictions on Broadcasts During Election Season Introduced in House

On Feb. 11, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) introduced HR 3801, a bill to repeal “electioneering communications” restrictions in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) that ban broadcasts that refer to federal candidates 60 days before a general election or 30 days before a primary election or nominating convention.

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File Your Form 990 Electronically

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announces online filing for Form 990. The IRS is set to accept online submissions of Form 990, the annual report filed by nonprofits, beginning in March. The IRS has made online filing of nonprofit financial reports a top priority because of the increased scrutiny by Congress, the media and others. The eventual goal is to have most 990s filed electronically, and the information made available to the public in a searchable database. Benefits of filing Form 990 electronically for nonprofits include:
  • reduction of the paperwork burden,

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Budget Battles Loom

As the 2005 budget resolutions process gets on its way, spending for domestic programs could actually come out lower than the already grim projections set by President Bush’s budget proposal. Given that it is an election year both the president and Congress’ use of "spin" and shenanigans to mislead the American public will proceed. A big election year issue is budget deficits and the skyrocketing national debt – peaking now at $7 trillion.

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Office of Special Counsel Scrubs Website

The new head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Scott J. Bloch, recently scrubbed the agency’s webpage removing references to protection from sexual orientation discrimination. The OSC is an independent agency with a primary mission to safeguard federal employees by protecting their workplace rights for activities such as whistleblowing.

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Leading Scientists Say Bush Administration Suppresses, Distorts Facts

More than 60 distinguished scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, blasted the Bush administration last week for suppressing and distorting scientific information that does not support its predetermined agenda.

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EPA Cancels Early TRI Release

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has apparently abandoned plans to provide an early release of the 2001 Toxic Release Inventory, as OMB Watch reported in a previous Watcher article.

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