Publications :  The Watcher :  OMB Watcher Vol. 3: 2002 :  September 16, 2002 Vol. 3 No. 19 : 

In This Issue

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Bush Solution to Forest Fires: Remove the Forest (09/17/2002)
The Bush administration sent a legislative proposal to Congress on Sept. 5 that would allow increased commercial logging of old-growth trees in national forests, purportedly to reduce runaway forest fires that have plagued the West in recent years, even though such trees are not the source of the problem.

OMB Speaks on Data Quality, Again (09/16/2002)
September 5, 2002, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo to the President's Management Council concerning its review of agency draft data quality guidelines. OMB identifies three process issues that it believes require greater cross agency conformity, and provides specific language it wants incorporated into each agency's final guidelines.

Troubling Information Polls Tell of a Troubled Public (09/16/2002)
Two recent polls present a mixed picture about public access to government information in the post-9/11 environment. When asked about whether specific information should be removed from the web, most people say no. But their views change dramatically if the government argues that the information could help terrorists.


FERC Rulemaking to Restrict Information Access (09/16/2002)
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on September 5, 2002 announced plans to aggressively restrict public access to government information it deems sensitive. Shortly after the September 11 attacks FERC limited access to huge amounts of information that it controls and released an initial policy statement addressing this issue in October 2001. Then on January 16, 2002, FERC announced a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) (published in the Federal Register on January 23, 2002) seeking public input on possible regulatory changes that would allow the agency to restrict unfettered general public access to what it termed Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII).

EPA's Next Step in Data Quality (09/16/2002)
As part of its efforts to develop and implement Data Quality Guidelines, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced plans to develop “Assessment Factors” to assist the agency in evaluating the quality of information and data that it receives from external sources.

GAO Report on Charity Response to Sept. 11 Released (09/16/2002)
On September 3, 2002, the General Accounting Office released an interim report on the response of charities to 9/11. The report describes the roles that charities played during the aftermath of 9/11 and identifies some ways to improve the charitable aid process in future disasters. The report concludes that improvement “may prove challenging to implement.”


IRS Considers Modifications to Form 990 (09/16/2002)


FEC Proposes New Definition of ?Coordination? With Candidates (09/16/2002)
Last week the FEC proposed new rules to define when communications with a federal candidate, a campaign, party or their agent, may turn an otherwise independent expenditure into an in-kind campaign contribution. Since corporations, including nonprofits, are prohibited from making contributions to federal candidates, the regulatory definition of “coordination” could impact any group that interacts with public officials or community leaders that are also federal candidates and communicates with the public about issues that involve them.


Faith-Based Initiative Goes Political (09/16/2002)
The administration, along with the Republican Party, are increasingly looking at faith-based activities in political terms.



Why CARE? (09/16/2002)
Supporters of the Charity Aid and Recovery Act (CARE), which passed the Senate Finance Committee in June, are hoping Senate leaders can work out an agreement to bring the bill to the floor soon. Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) was quoted as saying an agreement limiting the number of amendments that can be offered in a floor debate is crucial, or "probably time was going to pass it by." Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) has been working on a "unanimous consent agreement," which may limit amendments to one or two for each party, thereby limiting the amount of floor time needed to consider the bill.

House to Vote on Bill Directing Privacy Assessments for New Rules (09/16/2002)
Within the next month, the House is expected to vote on a bill (H.R. 4561) -- sponsored by Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) and cleared by the Judiciary Committee on Sept. 10 -- that directs federal agencies to conduct a “privacy impact analysis” for new regulations.

EPA Issues Weak Rule on Snowmobile Emissions After Earful from Graham (09/16/2002)
A final EPA rule to cut emissions from snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles is weaker than the agency’s original proposal, which met resistance from the vice president’s office and John Graham, administrator of OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), who sided with the snowmobile industry.

FCC Calls for Major Review of Media Ownership Rules (09/16/2002)
On September 12, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking as part of its biennial review of media ownership rules mandated under the 1996 Telecommunications Act to determine whether the marketplace is sufficiently ensuring the goals of local responsiveness, diversity, and competition with respect to local media, or if existing rules need to be maintained or modified, in order to promote these goals.

Different Opinion on Chemical Security (09/16/2002)
OMB Watch responded to a recent Washington Times Op-ed, entitled "Toxic road map for terrorists" with this letter to the editor.

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