| In This Issue |
Lobbying and Speech Rights
FEC Exempts Unpaid Broadcasts, Charities from New Rules
FEC Exempts Unpaid Broadcasts, Charities from New Rules
Federal Budget
Appropriations Update
Budget Process Rules the Senate
Increasing Poverty And More Uninsured In The US
Estate Tax Update
Information & Access
Data Quality Arrives
FOIA Constancy in Senate Homeland Security
Compromise on Chemical Security
Nonprofit Issues
Coalition Opposes Church Electioneering Bill
Commerce Department Extends and Amends ICANN MOU
Regulatory Matters
Administration Mixes Politics with Science
Bush Directs Expedited Environmental Reviews for Transportation Projects
Report Links Environmental Rollbacks to Industry Contributions
Correction and New Information on EPA's Children's Health Report
Appropriations Update (09/30/2002)
While timeliness has not been a hallmark of appropriations bills in recent years, this year is proving exceptionally slow. According to budget procedures, appropriations bills are supposed to be finished by June 30 to leave plenty of time to reconcile differences between the House and Senate before the new fiscal year, which starts October 1. But this year, not a single appropriations bill has been sent to the president, and neither house has completed action on all 13 appropriations bills.
Budget Process Rules the Senate (09/30/2002)
As noted on these pages many times over the last few months, the Senate is unique in its traditions and rules. One feature that helped earn the Senate the title of the “world’s greatest deliberative body” is its rules that allow for, and even necessitate, policy debates, which are a vital part of the legislative process. These rules push the Senate to work out differences between conflicting legislative proposals and help ensure that the voice of the minority is protected. To extend this principle to tax and spending issues, the Senate has special rules.
Increasing Poverty And More Uninsured In The US (09/30/2002)
The new U.S. Census Bureau publication “Poverty in the United States: 2001” shows an increase in poverty and a tie for the highest level of income inequality ever (if not a new record high, depending on the measures used). This should not be a surprise given the policies of the administration and the recent economic downturn.
Estate Tax Update (09/30/2002)
Efforts to make the estate tax permanent continue in Congress. In the midst of all of the other issues facing the nation and the crowded congressional schedule, this shows how much importance conservatives attach to relieving the very wealthiest of Americans from paying taxes when they transfer their wealth.
Data Quality Arrives (09/30/2002)
Tomorrow, October 1, is the deadline set by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for agencies to finalize and begin to implement data quality guidelines, which seek to establish criteria for information disseminated by government agencies. Concerns have been raised that these guidelines may be misused by the regulated community to slow down the regulatory process, de-publish information critical of industry and its impacts, and possibly overturn long established regulations.
FEC Exempts Unpaid Broadcasts, Charities from New Rules (09/30/2002)
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) approved final regulations on September 26 implementing a ban on broadcasts by corporations (including nonprofits) and labor unions that refer to federal candidates within 60 days of an election or 30 days of a primary. The FEC used its authority under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), which directed the ban, to carve out two important exceptions: free air time and broadcasts by charitable, educational and religious groups that are exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code.
Coalition Opposes Church Electioneering Bill (09/30/2002)
Religious leaders from the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs and the National Council of Churches, as well as OMB Watch and the Campaign and Media Legal Center, denounced pending legislation during a September 27 briefing for House members and staff that would allow faith-based organizations to endorse candidates and use a congregation’s funds and facilities for partisan campaign activities.
Commerce Department Extends and Amends ICANN MOU (09/30/2002)
On September 20, the Commerce Department announced its intention to extend its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which is charged with management of the Internet domain system, for another year until September 2003. ICANN's arrangement with the Commerce Department dates back to November 1998, but has long been fraught with dissatisfaction and contention around issues of accountability, scope of governance, and representation of public and public interest perspectives within ICANN. Read more about the amended MOU on OMB Watch's Internet Governance section.
Administration Mixes Politics with Science (09/30/2002)
The Bush administration is overhauling scientific advisory committees that were reaching conclusions contrary to its political objectives, according to a recent article in the Washington Post. Findings by these committees, which are made up by private experts and are found at virtually every agency, frequently form the foundation for regulatory action, which the administration seems determined to avoid at all costs. Not surprisingly, the administration is moving to stack the deck in favor of its predetermined views.
Bush Directs Expedited Environmental Reviews for Transportation Projects (09/30/2002)
President Bush issued an executive order on September 18 that directs federal agencies to speed environmental reviews for major transportation projects.
Report Links Environmental Rollbacks to Industry Contributions (09/30/2002)
Earthjustice and Public Campaign recently released a joint report that links recent Bush rollbacks of environmental protections to industry campaign contributions.
Correction and New Information on EPA's Children's Health Report (09/30/2002)
In the September 3, 2002, issue of the Watcher, we reported that OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) requested to review an EPA report on children’s health prior to publication. Further conversation with EPA staff clarified that although OIRA participated in the review, it was OMB budget staff that made the request. We have revised our original article to reflect this new understanding.
FOIA Constancy in Senate Homeland Security (09/30/2002)
The latest homeland security bill in the Senate, sponsored by Sens. Phil Gramm (R-TX) and Zell Miller (D-GA), contains information provisions that would exempt documents voluntarily provided to the new Department of Homeland Security from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The language is exactly the same as the Leahy-Bennett-Levin amendment that resolved this issue in Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s (D-CT) bill on homeland security. Lieberman’s bill failed to pass a cloture vote after Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) filibustered the bill.
Compromise on Chemical Security (09/30/2002)
There have been plans to offer Sen. Jon Corzine’s (D-NJ) Chemical Security Act as an amendment to the Senate’s bill to establish a new department of Homeland Security. However, since the homeland bill has been taking so long in the Senate there is a strong probability that no controversial amendments are going to be allowed. Facing such a situation, there is tremendous pressure to water down Sen. Corzine’s bill to make it palatable for everyone. Sen. James Inhofe (R- OK) appears to be the lead for negotiating a compromise with Corzine. Unfortunately, the compromises being discussed go so far that they may make the bill essentially useless.