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OMB Watch Testifies about Political Meddling with Public Protections
On May 6, Rick Melberth, Director of Federal Regulatory Policy at OMB Watch, testified at the House Judiciary Committee's hearing on the federal regulatory process and the unitary executive theory. Melberth pointed to the injection of politics into science and the rulemaking process that is supposed to protect the American people from health, safety, and environmental hazards. He also noted that applying the unitary executive theory to the federal regulatory process threatens the constitutional separation of powers, a foundation of our democracy.
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Read Rick Melberth's Testimony
Report Documents Political Meddling with Science at EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists are faced with widespread political interference that has significantly increased under the Bush administration, a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) shows. Hundreds of the scientists surveyed (60 percent) reported some degree of political meddling, ranging from unnecessary delays to forced resignations.
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More on Politics and Science
Fuel Economy Proposal: Higher Mileage, State Preemption
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Mary E. Peters, announced April 22 a proposed new rule to raise fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks. In December 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, which required revisions to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The new rule, if implemented, would be the first significant improvement in fuel efficiency standards since the CAFE program's inception in 1975.
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More on the Bush Regulatory Record
Court Upholds Stealth Lobbying Disclosure
The National Association of Manufacturers' (NAM) legal challenge to the stealth lobbying disclosure provisions in the 2007 lobbying and ethics reform law was rejected by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on April 11. After the U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to grant a stay pending appeal, NAM announced it would comply with the law while its appeal proceeds by disclosing members who contributed more than $5,000 toward lobbying in a quarter and have supervision, control, or active participation in NAM's federal lobbying efforts.
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More on Lobbying Reform and Government Ethics
OMB Watch Partners with Helium.com, Encourages Readers to Join Discussion of Issues
OMB Watch has partnered with the citizen journalism site Helium.com to spark discussion on issues of critical importance to the nation. Anyone can register at the site and write articles and commentary on a wide variety of topics, including those related to government transparency, citizen participation in our democracy, crucial public protections, the federal budget, and government accountability. OMB Watch encourages everyone to add to the richness of the debate and the diversity of viewpoints at our partner page on Helium.
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OMB Watch's article series Bankrupting Government examines how long-term resource shortfalls at federal regulatory agencies have affected the ability of those agencies to fulfill their missions.
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