Publications :  The Watcher :  OMB Watcher Vol. 6: 2005 :  July 11, 2005 Vol.6, No.14 : 

In This Issue

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Minnesota Experiences Unprecedented Government Shutdown Due to Budget Deadlock (07/11/2005)
A budget deadlock in the Minnesota state legislature led to a partial shutdown of the state government, temporarily leaving thousands jobless and halting many important public services. This government shutdown, unprecedented in Minnesota, could have been avoided had the legislature passed a simple stopgap spending bill to fund the government at previous levels until a new budget could be worked out.

Expiring Tax Cuts Will Prove Costly to Extend (07/11/2005)
The scheduled expiration in 2008 of a number of tax cuts put in place during Bush's first term has many Senate GOP tax writers looking to the budget reconciliation process to extend these costly measures. If included in the $70 billion reconciliation package, these tax provisions would be protected from a Senate filibuster, yet would add billions of dollars to the national debt through 2010, the five year window the reconciliation bill would cover. Many contend that reauthorization of provisions that benefit the wealthy disproportionately and at the expense of middle- and low- income Americans demonstrates our current Congress' misguided priorities with respect to tax policy.

OMB Watch Wins in Court for Access to Risk Management Data (07/11/2005)
After almost four years of silence, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released updated information on Risk Management Plans (RMPs) filed by facilities with large quantities of hazardous chemicals onsite, in order to inform communities about the risks. The agency released the information to OMB Watch after the organization sued EPA for failing to respond to its request filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). OMB Watch has posted the executive summaries of the RMPs on its Right to Know Network website.

Congressional Report Uncovers Chemical Security Risks Throughout the Country (07/11/2005)
An analysis prepared for Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reveals that chemical plants endanger millions of Americans in every state. The report demonstrates widespread problems with chemical security and highlights the need for a national policy that will reduce these risks.

New York Assembly Passes New Environmental "Right to Know" Bill (07/11/2005)
The New York State Assembly passed the Environmental Community Right to Know Act of 2005 (A. 1952) on June 4. The bill would create a single location online for the public to access and search all environmental information collected by the state on hazardous substances released into the environment.

NIH AIDS Division Director Fired Possible Retaliation for Whistleblowing (07/11/2005)
Dr. Jonathan Fishbein, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) researcher and director of the AIDS research division's Office of Policy in Clinical Research Operations, blew the whistle on poor scientific practices and inappropriate, unprofessional conduct by the department. NIH fired Fishbein on July 1 citing poor job performance, in what some believe to be retaliation. A review report for the NIH director's office confirms many of the issues that Fishbein raised about the agency's AIDS research division, adding to the speculation that his dismissal constituted a retaliatory action.

Flaws in Delaware's Open Records Law Keep Information out of Public Hands (07/11/2005)
Illogical exemptions and poor implementation appear to be preventing Delaware's Freedom on Information Act (FOIA) from fulfilling its purpose to provide the public with access to important government-held health and safety information. Delaware's News Journal conducted an investigation into the function of the state's open records law and found significant problems and loopholes.

CA Nat'l Guard Investigated for Surveillance of Peace Activists (07/11/2005)
On June 26 the San Jose Mercury News published email correspondences between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's press office and senior California National Guard officials that detail surveillance of a Mother's Day peace rally sponsored by three organizations. Separate investigations have been launched by a California state legislator and federal officials, and public reaction has been strongly negative, with comparisons to domestic spying targeted at anti-war and civil rights groups during the Vietnam era.

Update on 527 bills (07/11/2005)
Two campaign finance bills, one that would allow more contributions to political parties and the other to restrict contributions to 527 organizations, are headed for a vote in the House. One bill has implications for charities that wish to make issue advocacy communications that mention federal candidates during election season.

FEC Holds Hearing on Regulation of Internet Communications (07/11/2005)
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) held a two-day public hearing in late June to consider comments on its proposed regulation of Internet communications about federal elections. The testimony focused on the role of bloggers and whether they should be required to post disclaimers notifying readers if they receive funds from a candidate or campaign. OMB Watch's testimony focused on the Internet's importance to civic participation and government accountability and urged a minimal approach to regulation. No date for publication of the final rule has been set.

GOP Attempt to Intimidate Religious Leader Highlights Broader Problems with Issue Advocacy in Church (07/11/2005)
On May 9, the Rev. Lisa Doege, of the First Unitarian Church of South Bend, IN, received a phone call from an Indiana State Representative, who warned her that a church program she had planned might threaten her church's tax-exempt status. Representative Luke Messner (R- Shelbyville) warned Doege against an upcoming program on Social Security, raising once more the issue of the role religious institutions have to play in the public sphere and in issue advocacy.

White House Demands Power to Restructure Government (07/11/2005)
The White House finally released last week its proposal for legislation granting the Bush administration wide-ranging powers to restructure government programs and force them to plead for their lives every 10 years.

Report of Newest U.S. Mad Cow Case Highlights USDA Failures (07/11/2005)
After seven months of silence, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the second U.S. case of mad cow disease on June 24, highlighting the need for more stringent regulatory protections of the nation's beef supply.

Hearing on Hit List Addresses Larger Regulatory Policy Issues (07/11/2005)
A House subcommittee hearing on the White House's anti-regulatory hit list became a venue for stakeholders to voice their positions on the broader ongoing debate over public protections and political interference in regulatory policy, pitting corporate-conservative talking points against evidence of the need for stringent safeguards.

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