Government Matters

Lessons of Bhopal: 25 Years Later, U.S. Chemical Laws Need Strengthening

Dec. 3 marks the 25th anniversary of the most catastrophic industrial accident in history: the leak of poisonous gas from a chemical plant in the Indian city of Bhopal. A similar accident some months later in West Virginia drove Congress to pass legislation intended to protect citizens from such disasters by requiring emergency planning and public disclosure of chemical releases. Twenty-five years after the Bhopal tragedy, much progress has been made, but much remains to be done to provide a minimum level of protection against chemical releases.

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GAO Report Shines Spotlight on Recovery Act Jobs Data

On Nov. 19, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report that details the first round of Recovery Act recipient reports. The GAO report focuses on data quality issues, which have garnered attention following widespread news stories about bad data in the Recovery Act reports. While the GAO report itself is informative, its recommendations, which call for improved guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), are particularly important. The recommendations echo earlier comments from transparency groups, which have long warned of potential data quality problems, especially concerning the job estimation data.

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The IRS Gets Serious about Tax Enforcement

On Nov. 17, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that some 14,700 taxpayers had taken part in its recently concluded tax amnesty program by coming forward to report previously undisclosed income hiding in foreign bank accounts. The figure represents a near doubling of the original estimate of 7,500 taxpayers the IRS provided at the end of the voluntary disclosure program. Credited in part for the success of the tax amnesty program is the Obama administration's larger emphasis on tax enforcement. With a beefed up IRS enforcement budget, new tax treaties with countries that once acted as tax havens, and stricter tax haven legislation in the works on Capitol Hill, the U.S. is starting to get serious about international tax enforcement.

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House Judiciary Committee Approves Strong PATRIOT Act Reform

In a 16-10 party-line vote on Nov. 5, the House Committee on the Judiciary approved H.R. 3845, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009. The legislation contains several important reforms of controversial surveillance powers granted in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Republicans on the committee claimed that "the legislation would hinder law enforcement and intelligence agencies in fighting terrorism." 

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House Committee Marks Up State Secrets Bill, Sends It to the Floor

On Nov. 5, the House Judiciary Committee began markups on a bill that would codify standards for when and how the executive branch may apply the state secrets privilege in civil litigation. Although the Obama administration has promised certain limitations on its own use of the privilege, civil liberties and open government groups continue to call for legislation to address the privilege. Ultimately, the committee approved the bill on an 18-12 vote and referred the legislation to the full House.

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Study Reveals the Focus on Lobbyists Could be Flawed

According to a study conducted by OMB Watch and the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), 1,418 federally registered lobbyists "deregistered" with Congress in the second quarter of 2009 (between April and June). This is a considerably higher rate than that seen in the average reporting period, when a few hundred lobbyists terminate their active status. The groups cautioned that this finding does not necessarily mean that the Obama administration's policies on lobbyists are leading to fewer outside influences on government policy, or that those policies are creating more transparency.

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EPA to Overhaul Air Pollution Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will revise existing standards for six major air pollutants, according to top agency officials. The changes could yield major public health benefits.

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OSHA Levies a Record Fine against Oil Giant BP

On Oct. 30, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it was issuing a proposed $87.4 million fine against BP Products North America Inc. (BP) for failure to remedy workplace hazards. The proposed fine is the largest ever issued by the agency and results from a 2005 explosion at an oil refinery that killed 15 workers.

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OMB Watch Submits Comments on Contractor Database

On Nov. 5, OMB Watch submitted comments and recommendations to the General Services Administration (GSA) on the new Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS). Required by the FY 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the database is supposed to help contracting officials make better award determinations by providing timely information on the honesty and reliability of contractors.

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About Those Recovery Act Job Numbers

Prominently displayed in a large, green font on the front page of Recovery.gov is the number 640,329. That is the number of jobs created or saved as reported by the recipients of some $150 billion in Recovery Act funds. The placement, font size, and accompanying press release from the White House have drawn immense attention and copious media reports. However, questions about the number's accuracy degrade the count's usefulness as a gauge of the economic impact of the Recovery Act. The figure itself remains only a fragment of the information that describes how the act is improving the economy and helping unemployed workers.

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