Publications :  The Watcher :  OMB Watcher Vol. 7: 2006 :  December 5, 2006 Vol. 7, No. 24 : 

In This Issue

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Lame Duck Session Holds Little Hope for Appropriations Bills (12/05/2006)
The congressional lame duck session resumed Dec. 5 as the 109th Congress returned to work on a set of long-deferred tax and budget items. However, Congress will likely postpone action on the bulk of these issues until the next session and quickly pass a continuing resolution (CR) that will last until early 2007.

Alternative Minimum Tax Likely to be Large Issue in 2007 (12/05/2006)
The continuing creep of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) is threatening to impact tens of millions of Americans in 2007 - a fact that will push it to the forefront of tax policy issues.

EPA Drops Plan to Change TRI Reporting Frequency, Major Flaws Remain (12/05/2006)
In light of the midterm elections and ongoing pressure from the current Republican controlled Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is changing its views on some plans for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), the nation's premiere environmental right to know program. EPA has announced it will retain annual reporting of toxic pollution, dropping its proposal to shift reporting to every other year. At the same time, however, EPA has not dropped its plans to significantly raise the threshold for detailed reporting under the TRI program, resulting in less information about toxic chemicals in our communities.

Terrorism Information Sharing Initiative Faces Several Hurdles (12/05/2006)
The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) submitted the Information Sharing Environment (ISE) Implementation Plan to Congress in November. Through changes in policy and technology, the plan articulates a multi-year vision for improving terrorism information sharing across the federal government and between foreign, federal, state and local governments, as well as key members of the private sector.

Pelosi and Reid Promise Increased Congressional Transparency (12/05/2006)
The new Democratic leadership in Congress is urging transparency as a primary tool to reform the legislative process. According to statements from incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), the leadership is planning several new rules and pieces of legislation on tracking earmarks, requiring time to read proposed legislation, and media access to conference committee activities - all with a central theme of increased congressional transparency.

Court Says Parts of Executive Order Used to Shut Down Charities are Unconstitutional (12/05/2006)
A Nov. 27 decision by a federal district court in Los Angeles found that two portions of Executive Order 13224 (EO), used to designate organizations as supporters of terrorism, are unconstitutional. The case was filed by the Humanitarian Law Project (HLP) and other nonprofits that want to provide support for "lawful, nonviolent activities" of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Tamil Tigers (LTTE), which have both been designated as terrorist organizations.

ACLU Seeks Congressional Hearings on Monitoring of Antiwar Groups (12/05/2006)
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently released more documents highlighting government surveillance of antiwar organizations. As information on the scope of the Pentagon's Threat and Local Observation Notice (TALON) database continues to accumulate, the ACLU has requested a congressional investigation into this use of counterterrorism resources for surveillance of nonviolent domestic organizations.

Supreme Court Wades into Climate Change Debate (12/05/2006)
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments November 29 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in new cars and trucks. The case, Massachusetts v. EPA, marked the first time the Court has heard arguments related to climate change. The Justices appeared most interested in whether the petitioners had standing to bring the case, and the Court spent little time on regulatory and environmental questions.

FDA Negotiates Increase in Drug Company User Fees (12/05/2006)
Amidst concerns raised by public interest advocates, the Food and Drug Administration is negotiating with drug industry representatives to increase controversial user fees, according to news reports.

GAO Urges New Congress to Increase Oversight in Key Areas (12/05/2006)
Congress's investigative arm, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), is prodding the upcoming 110th Congress to increase its oversight role, something Democrats are chomping at the bit to do. In a Nov. 17 report, GAO identifies 36 areas in need of congressional oversight, organized into three categories: near-term oversight; policy and program reform; and governance issues in need of long-term attention. The recommendations are comprehensive, covering an array of issues including, but not limited to, government contractor responsibility, tax and budget policy, environmental regulation, and government transparency.

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