Publications :  The Watcher :  OMB Watcher Vol. 5: 2004 :  March 22, 2004 Vol. 5, No. 6 : 

In This Issue

---

Comparison of House and Senate Budget Plans (03/22/2004)
The budget resolution plan passed by the House Budget Committee is far worse than the Senate plan. Nevertheless, the "fiscal discipline" of both plans is based on huge cuts in domestic spending for programs and services that most Americans value in order to extend tax cuts to wealthier Americans.


OMNIBUS APPROPRIATION BILL AS FIRST CHOICE, NOT LAST RESORT? (03/22/2004)
Usually, an omnibus appropriations bill is a last resort. This year it may be the first choice.

Bush Administration Surpressing Documents in Classification Frenzy (03/22/2004)
The Bush administration is classifying documents at nearly twice the rate of the Clinton administration, according to statistics compiled by the Information Security Oversight Office, an arm of the National Archives and Records Administration. The current administration has classified 44.5 million records and documents in two years, roughly the same number of records classified during the final four years of Clinton’s administration.

Environmental Protection Agency Fast-Tracking Review of Website Link Policy (03/22/2004)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expediting a review of its policy concerning links from the agency’s website to external sites. EPA had originally scheduled the review for January 2005, but moved it up in response to a letter from Reps. Cubin (R-WY) and Gibbons (R-NV). The letter accused EPA of inappropriately linking to extremist groups. OMB Watch and Environmental Defense are among the specific groups the congressmen were referring to.


Alabama Considers FOIA Exemption for Security (03/22/2004)
The Alabama legislature recently introduced Senate Bill 205, which would exempt security information from public disclosure currently mandated under four laws. Alabama State Sen. Steve French (R-Birmingham) sponsored the bill.

FEC Urged to Narrow Rulemaking on Scope of Regulation (03/22/2004)
Three campaign finance groups have written the Federal Election Commission (FEC) urging them to narrow the scope of their proposed rule on what groups must register as “political committees.” The three groups are hoping that the FEC can resolve what they deem the most pressing issues for this election cycle. The FEC has not yet responded to their request.

Wisconsin Considering Copying Federal Rule on Issue Ads (03/22/2004)
A recent move by the Wisconsin State Elections Board may foreshadow a coming trend that bodes ill for issue advocacy—namely, attempts to regulate such activity. On March 10, the board decided to proceed with drafting a new rule that would regulate so-called “issue ads.” The state board’s rule borrows elements of the new definition of “electioneering communications” under federal campaign finance law. Unlike the federal law, however, the Wisconsin rule does not ban corporations, labor unions or nonprofits from paying for these communications. Also unlike the federal version—which covers only radio, television, cable or satellite communications—the state version covers all forms of communications are covered. This is a dramatic expansion from the federal rule. A final draft of the Wisconsin rule is expected to be considered at the board’s May meeting.

The Corporation for National and Community Service to Address Program and Policy Issues (03/22/2004)
Both Congress and the President have asked the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to undertake formal rulemaking to address significant program and policy issues.



"Voluntary" Guidelines to Prevent Terrorist Financing Called Poorly Designed (03/22/2004)
The Treasury Department’s “Voluntary Best Practices for U.S. Based Charities,” are poorly designed for their stated purpose of helping prevent diversion of funds to terrorists. Several speakers made that assessment at a recent Philanthropy and Security forum, hosted by Georgetown University’s Center for Democracy and the Third Sector , which focused on the merits of the Treasury Department guidelines.


Choose the Ten Most Wanted Government Documents for 2004 (03/22/2004)
What information would you most want government to show the public that the public cannot currently see? The 28 secret pages of Congress' joint inquiry into intelligence failures leading up to 9/11? The threats to community safety posed by chemical plants? How the government has used Patriot Act powers? How about a mailing address for the nation's "spy court?"

Environmental Protection Agency's Egregious Error Misled Public on Drinking Water (03/22/2004)
A March 5 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector General's report revealed that EPA consistently misstated information on the quality of the nations drinking water over the years 1999 to 2002. EPA claimed in several documents during that time that that 91 percent of citizens had access to safe drinking water. According to other EPA documents reviewed by the Inspector General and interviews with state officials, however, only about 81 percent of the country had access to safe drinking water in 2002 much less than the published 94 percent estimate for that year. This is a difference of 30 million people at risk from contaminated water. This erroneous assertion has left millions of people unknowingly at risk.

EPA Chided by Senate Environment Committee (03/22/2004)
A letter from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Mike Leavitt has urged the agency to respond to requests for information from both Democrats and Republicans on the committee.

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.