Government Matters

Appropriations and Supplemental Spending Bill Update

Negotiations between the House and Senate on the FY 2002 supplemental spending bill (H.R. 4775) broke down after the White House threatened to veto the bill if spending was much more than the $28.8 billion requested by the President and consisted primarily of spending for defense and national security and aid to New York City.

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FEC Delays Issue Advocacy Rulemaking

The Federal Election Commission announced that it will be not be ready to consider proposed regulations on issue advocacy on July 25, as had been planned. A new date has not been set, and other rulemakings, including a proceeding to define illegal coordination between campaigns and donors and advocacy groups, are also likely to be delayed. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) requires that all rulemakings be completed by the end of the year.

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OMB?S Mid-Session Budget Review: Rosey Pays Another White House Visit

It comes as no surprise that the budget review issued by the Office of Management and Budget on July 19, 2002, shows a higher deficit for 2002 than predicted in its February 2002 report—from a $106 billion to a $165 billion deficit. In spite of the increasing deficit, OMB is optimistic about a quick return to budget surpluses in 2005, which are estimated to continue to increase over the next decade. In other words, according to OMB, this has been a rough time, but the President’s economic and fiscal policies, particularly the tax cut, insure that the long-term outlook couldn’t be better.

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Church Electioneering Bill Gains Sponsors, IRS Issues Guidance for Religious Organizations

Two bills that would allow religious congregations to endorse or oppose candidates for office and spend church funds on electioneering gained new sponsors last week, as its sponsors criticized the IRS for publishing a Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations, Publication 1828, in early July.

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OMB Hijacks Clean Air Standards

In what appears to be part of a broad effort to reshape air regulation, OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) apparently forced EPA to withdraw two proposed emissions standards for stationary internal combustion engines and industrial boilers, insisting that the agency make changes that may be inconsistent with the Clean Air Act.

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Corporate Reform Bills Differ on Nonprofit Disclosure

In the wake of the widening corporate accounting scandals, both the House and Senate have passed versions of corporate accountability and reform legislation. As reported in a previous Watcher, on April 24, the House passed the "Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency Act" (H.R. 3763), while the Senate passed its version (S. 2673) last Monday, July 15th. The conference committee that will hammer out the differences between the House and Senate version was appointed on Wednesday, July 17th, and has promised to be finished with the legislation by July 26th.

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Vol. 1 No. 1 January 27, 2000

In This Issue Federal Budget Surplus   Sign-On to Invest in America Letter   The Budget Picture This Year    Increasing Income Disparity   Agencies' E-FOIA Implementation   World Wide Washington?   Whither NTIS?   The ALA takes on software manufacturers   Regulatory 'Reform' Efforts   Regulatory Costs and Benefits   What's Your Environm

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Vol. 1 No. 2 February 14, 2000

In This Issue

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Vol. 1 No. 3 February 29, 2000

In This Issue

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Vol. 1 No. 4 March 13, 2000

In This Issue

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