Total output as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 7.2% in the third quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported last Thursday.

Kyl Still Pushing for Permanent Estate Tax Repeal (11/03/2003)
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is making a new push to permanently repeal the estate tax in spite of budget deficits and a growing national debt (not to mention its fundamental unfairness).

Appropriations Still in Knots (11/03/2003)
Congress has completed only three of the 13 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2004, which began Oct. 1. In the meantime, several continuing resolutions -- which continue funding at last year’s levels -- have kept the government afloat.

Congress Moves to Fund Efforts in Iraq & Afghanistan (11/03/2003)
The president's request for $87 billion seems to be on the way to final passage.

Congress Slow to Extend Unemployment Benefits (11/03/2003)
Unemployed workers may face another bleak holiday unless Congress passes legislation extending benefits.

NAS Holds Workshop on OMB Peer Review Standards (11/03/2003)
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has scheduled an all-day workshop on peer review for Nov. 18. The workshop is an effort to foster greater dialog on the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) recent draft bulletin proposing uniform standards for peer review throughout the federal government.

FEC Seeks Exemption from Do-Not-Fax Rules for PACs and Political Parties (11/03/2003)
On Oct. 14, the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) general counsel wrote to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking that PACs and political parties be exempt from new rules (which take effect in January 2005) that require advance permission before sending “unsolicited fax advertisements.” The FEC letter noted that the Telecommunications Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) defines an “unsolicited fax advertisement” as commercial speech only, and that political fundraising should be exempt on First Amendment grounds. This same argument could also apply to nonprofit organizations that do not engage in electoral politics, such as public charities and social welfare organizations.

CARE Act Stalled Again (11/03/2003)
Senate Democrats are objecting to their exclusion from conference-committee meetings on a number of bills by refusing to add the child tax credit and extension of several tax provisions to the CARE Act. Late last week, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), a sponsor of the CARE Act, told a meeting of nonprofits that Democrats are playing politics with the bill, but Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) told BNA, “We can’t agree to participate in conferences that lock us out.”

Comments Filed on Proposed Charitable Choice Rules for Veterans Administration (11/03/2003)
On Oct. 30, OMB Watch filed comments on proposed rules for religious organizations that receive grants under the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The comments object to rule changes that would allow religious discrimination in hiring for federally funded positions and permit religious content in service programs. The comments also called for stronger accountability standards. Click here to read the full text of the comments.

Scientists Threatened with ?Ideological Shackles? (11/03/2003)
In early October, congressional Republicans sent a list to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) identifying more than 150 scientists with grants to conduct research on HIV and sexual behavior. NIH responded by contacting these researchers, apparently to put the agency in better position to defend the grants.

GAO Finds OMB Regulatory Review Not Well Documented (11/03/2003)
Under the Bush administration, OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has significantly affected the substance of health, safety and environmental standards but failed to consistently document its influence, according to a report by the General Accounting Office (GAO).

Administration Challenged on Clean Air Rollback (11/03/2003)
Attorneys general from 12 states and the District of Columbia recently filed a lawsuit challenging a major rollback of the nation’s clean air standards that will allow increased pollution from the oldest and dirtiest power plants. A coalition of conservation and public health organizations has filed suit as well.

Proposed ExxonMobil Plant to Test New Restrictions on Information (11/03/2003)
Mobile, Ala., appears to be the testing ground for new restrictions on energy information. Inquiries into a proposed natural gas plant will test if policies meant to increase security will actually compromise the public’s safety.