Publications :  The Watcher :  OMB Watcher Vol. 5: 2004 :  January 26. 2004 Vol. 5 No.2 : 

In This Issue

---

TAKE THE TAX AND BUDGET SURVEY AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ABOUT IT!! (01/26/2004)
We are conducting an exciting new Internet survey that explores tax and budget issues and will be used in an offensive strategic campaign. Respondents have until Feb. 4 to complete the survey.

The Budget for 2004 is Finally Done (01/26/2004)
Just in time for the start of the Year of the Monkey, on Thursday, Jan. 22, the Senate passed the omnibus conference report (HR 2673) which was approved by the House a month ago.

And Onward to the Budget Battles Ahead (01/26/2004)
President Bush's FY 2005 budget will be released on Monday, Feb. 2 with the promise of a difficult budget process ahead.


Economy and Jobs Watch: CBO Projecting Large Deficits (01/26/2004)
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) today released their baseline budget estimates for 2005-2014. The analysis shows that in 2004 deficits will likely reach $477 billion - which is 4.2% of GDP - and that deficits will continue over the next decade, reaching a cumulative $1.9 trillion baseline over the next 10 years.





Economy and Jobs Watch: Lowering the Deficit Bar (01/26/2004)
According to the president's State of the Union address, the administration claims it will "cut the deficit in half over the next five years."


Pressure Continues to Mount Against OMB's Peer Review Plan (01/26/2004)
Many recent news stories and editorial pieces from around the country are critical of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) draft bulletin on peer review, thereby maintaining pressure on the agency to either drastically alter the policy proposal or withdraw it entirely.

U.N. Report Compares Freedom of Information Laws (01/26/2004)
A new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) examines freedom of information policies across several governments and non-governmental organizations.

Avoiding Shame Through Secrecy Puts Lives At Risk (01/26/2004)
No one wants to be embarrassed, especially the folks working on the taxpayer’s dime under the harsh lights of public scrutiny. But when people in high places in government try to keep embarrassing information out of the public eye, the results can be high-profile scandal. Just ask Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. Most government efforts to keep unnecessary secrets, however, never reach the front pages of the New York Times but still put lives in danger and waste taxpayer dollars. Two recent news stories make this point. One deals with the question of whether the Sept. 11 attacks could have been prevented, the other with problems in California’s prison system.

Is CBS Squelching Free Speech? (01/26/2004)
CBS refuses to air MoveOn's 30-second issue ad during the Super Bowl, claiming the ad is too "controversial"

Definition of Regulated Federal PAC To Be Considered by FEC (01/26/2004)
The Supreme Court’s Dec. 2003 decision upholding the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) has raised new questions about what kinds of political action committees are subject to federal campaign finance laws. On Jan. 15 the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted to consider new regulations defining what kinds of political action committees would be subject to contribution and expenditure limits for federal election activity. FEC plans to have a proposed rule published on March 4. There will be a comment period followed by a public hearing in mid-April. The final rule is expected to be published on May 13.

Government Probes Muslim Charities (01/26/2004)
Congressional scrutiny around the link between charities and terrorist organizations continues to grow. As first reported in the Washington Post on Jan. 14, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) and ranking member Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) requested the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to produce the confidential financial records and tax documents of several Muslim charities and Islamic philanthropic organizations. The Dec. 22, 2003 letter was sent in order to increase government oversight over groups that "finance terrorism and perpetuate violence."

Faith-based Initiative Gets a Push with Set Aside Funds (01/26/2004)
Evidence emerges that faith-based charities are not discriminated against, but instead they are being favored.

Designated Zones Continue to be Drawn for Protesters (01/26/2004)
The Secret Service has created restricted areas to keep those actively opposing President Bush's policies from being seen during his public appearances. People have been arrested for stepping outside the designated free speech area, and one man was prosecuted in federal court.

Supreme Court Decides EPA Can Overrule State Air Permits (01/26/2004)
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled Jan. 21 that EPA has authority to overrule a state construction permit that, as judged by the agency, violates air quality standards.

Administration Says It Will Prosecute Clean Air Violations, For Now (01/26/2004)
The Bush administration will reverse course and bring new court cases against violators of power-plant emissions standards, according to EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt.

Court Overturns Bush Rollback of Air Conditioner Efficiency Standards (01/26/2004)
A federal appeals court overturned a Bush rollback of air conditioner efficiency standards, finding that it violated the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act, which prohibits such backsliding.

Administration Limits Objections to Forest Thinning (01/26/2004)
The Bush administration issued an interim final rule Jan. 9 that limits the public’s ability to challenge forest-thinning projects under the recently enacted Healthy Forests Restoration Act, which allows increased logging purportedly to reduce the danger of wildfire.

Commerce Dept. Calls for More Regulatory Rollbacks (01/26/2004)
The Commerce Department released a report Jan. 16 on U.S. manufacturing that calls on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review existing regulations and implement reforms “on a priority basis” to reduce costs on manufacturers.

Time Remains to Comment on EPA's Burden Reduction Plans for TRI (01/26/2004)
OMB Watch encourages interested individuals to take part in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Stakeholder Dialogue Phase II that focuses on burden reduction options for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program. The TRI is a flagship database that contains information about releases and transfers of toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities. Since the establishment of TRI, the simple act of publicizing the amount toxic chemicals that facilities release has pressured companies to reduce these releases by more than half.

Privacy Statement | Press Room | Site Map | Contact OMB Watch

© 2008 OMB Watch
1742 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009
202-234-8494 (phone)
202-234-8584 (fax)

Combined Federal Campaign #10201

Please credit OMB Watch when redistributing this material.