Government Matters

Comment Salvos Exchanged in Data Quality War

Extensions granted In response to the extremely short public comment period most agencies were offering on their draft data quality guidelines, Citizens for Sensible Safeguards, a broad-based coalition of organizations representing health, safety, civil rights, and environmental concerns, sent a letter to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Administrator John Graham requesting an extension to the deadline for filing comments on federal agency data quality guidelines. Similar letters were sent to several key agencies requesting that they extend they public comment periods.

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EPA Likely to Require "Terror Checks" at Chemical Plants

According to Associated Press reports last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may finally begin to require chemical plants to assess their vulnerabilities to a terrorist attack, and then take measures to reduce those risks. While chemical plants have always posed significant risks to communities from “routine” accidents, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 prompted a reassessment of these threats and greater sense of urgency in addressing these risks, and as OMB Watch previously reported here, chemical plants have failed to effectively address the threats on their own.

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Charitable Choice Advocates Continue Regulatory, Legislative Efforts

While the CARE Act has hit a snag in the Senate over the costs of tax cuts for charitable giving, non-tax portions of the bill dealing with federal grant rules for faith-based organizations could become even more controversial if the bill passes the Senate and goes to conference with the House.

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Survey Conducted on Streamlining Government Grants

Last month, as part of the Streamlining Nonprofit Grants Management Project, OMB Watch conducted an online survey of nonprofits that receive government grants to determine priorities in the implementation of the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999. 365 groups responded, representing national, state and local groups and faith and community based organizations.

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Estate Tax Briefings

A successful nonprofit briefing on the estate tax was held on June 6. A press briefing to release the results of a nationwide poll by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research will be held Wednesday, June 12.

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NHTSA Issues Weakened Tire Pressure Monitoring Rule

On June 5, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a watered down standard to guard against under-inflated tires -- which are linked to numerous deaths each year -- after its first attempt was rejected by OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which must approve all major regulatory actions.

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EPA Announces New Online Rulemaking System

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the launching of a new web service, called EPA Dockets, to allow the public to search regulatory documents and submit comments on rulemakings electronically.

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House Passes Permanent Repeal of the Estate Tax (Again)

The House wanted its vote on Thurs. June 6th on permanent repeal of the estate tax (H.R. 2143) to send a signal to the Senate showing widening support for repeal. The vote did send a signal, though not the one the House had intended.

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Estate Tax Repeal Advocates Up the Stakes in Estate Tax Debate

In an effort to re-emphasize their dogged commitment to tax breaks for the very wealthy, House Republicans announced last week that they would bring up the issue of permanent estate tax repeal for a vote shortly after they return from their Memorial Day recess - on June 5 or 6.

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House-Passed Superwaiver is Even Worse Than Earlier Versions

The Administration's "superwaiver" proposal that passed the House on May 16 as part of welfare reform (H.R. 4737) would provide cabinet secretaries with new, far-reaching authority to approve state applications to waive federal laws and regulations affecting a number of programs -- even more than earlier versions indicated.

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