Top Ten Concerns and Status Update
Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S.-based charities have become targets in the government's war on terror financing. Despite the sweeping implications for all domestic nonprofit organizations, the lion's share of the burden of increased scrutiny, suspicion, and pre-emptive action has fallen on Muslim groups. This imbalanced campaign raises significant legal and ethical questions.
An Attack on Cancer Research: Industry's Obstruction of the National Toxicology Program illustrates how, over the past five years, industry has repeatedly misused the Data Quality Act (DQA) to suppress important cancer-related information from the National Toxicology Program (NTP). The report also provides recommendations for NTP and other government programs and agencies regarding the implementation of DQA.
How Nonprofits Helped America Vote: 2006 describes nonprofits' electoral engagement during the 2006 election and their preparation for upcoming elections. First, the report highlights how nonprofits are defending voters' rights against attacks, including tactics meant to suppress and intimidate voters, new voter ID requirements, and limitations on voter registration drives. Next, the report describes how nonprofits are working to protect the integrity of our elections. The report then surveys the activities that may be viewed as more traditional voter engagement and mobilization efforts. The report closes by urging nonprofits to help America vote in 2007 and 2008 and includes a list of resources for nonprofits who want more information on how they can do so.
A Failure to Govern: Bush's Attack on the Regulatory Process outlines President Bush's recent changes to the regulatory process. The report details the potential impacts the changes will have on federal agencies and the American public, as well as what the changes mean to democracy at large.
This summary of responses to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plans to cut toxic reporting offers a detailed analysis of the comments submitted EPA's public docket on the proposed changes to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The report identifies nine stakeholder groups, details the level of support or opposition of each group, and summarizes the main points raised by each group.
By nominating Susan Dudley to serve as White House regulatory czar, the Bush administration has signaled that it is shifting from siege to all-out war on the public's protections. Dudley is unfit to serve in this important role. Find out why in this special report from OMB Watch and Public Citizen, The Cost Is Too High: How Susan Dudley Threatens Public Protections.
The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) new approach to enforcing the ban on partisan activities by charities and religious organizations has raised serious questions about the agency's interpretation of the law, about evenhanded enforcement, and about the appropriateness of an approach aimed at deterring speech. This report summarizes the Political Activities Compliance Initiative (PACI) and new compliance guidance from the IRS, and raises questions that must be addressed to ensure charities and religious organizations can continue to play their essential role in public policy debates.
The Bush administration has failed the public time and time again on mad cow disease, putting corporate special interests above the public interest.
Under the Bush administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is slowly dismantling its flagship environmental information tool--the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). The program has been protected and improved for over the last 15 years, serving as a constant example of the vital role information plays in a democracy. Unfortunately, the program's success has made it a target for those that seek to reduce corporate oversight and accountability.
The second annual report from OpenTheGovernment.org, found secrecy in 2004 extended to more classified activity, more federal advisory meetings, more new patents deemed "secret," more domestic surveillance, and more new state laws restricting public access to information.