Publications :  The Watcher :  OMB Watcher Vol. 8: 2007 :  December 18, 2007 Vol. 8, No. 25 : 

In This Issue

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Despite New Majority in Congress, Fiscal Policy Still Mostly Stuck in Neutral (12/18/2007)
A new congressional majority in 2007 promised a clean break from past practices of a Congress noted for its corruption, dysfunction and profligacy. It moved on a modest agenda and successfully enacted a few important policies, but overall, it failed to chart a new direction in fiscal policy. This failure was due in large part to the majority underestimating the ability and willingness of a coalition of conservative policymakers and the president to fiercely obstruct even the modest reform policies on the new Congress's agenda.

Information Magic Eight-Ball (12/18/2007)
Over the past year, there has been a great deal of activity on issues related to government transparency and secrecy, but it can remain difficult to figure out exactly what all the discussions, reports and hearings actually mean. To try to get to the bottom of this murky issue, we are breaking out our Magic Eight-Ball of Information Policy to ask a few key questions about the past year — the progress and setbacks, laid out in simple terms. We wish there was a better approach, but unfortunately, 2007 was that kind of year for government transparency, with vague and unclear answers for most questions.

A Year for Failure: Regulatory Policy News in 2007 (12/18/2007)
In 2007, new regulatory policies and the inability of federal agencies to protect the public made headlines more so than at any time in recent memory. Four themes dominated regulatory policy this year: an increase in White House influence over agency rulemaking activity and discretion, which added a perception of more political manipulation; the inability of the federal government to protect the public by ensuring the safety of imported goods; the voice of some industry groups calling for regulation; and the Bush administration's refusal to regulate in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence, as in the case of climate change. At best, government has attempted to respond to crises instead of getting ahead of the curve. This has left the public uncertain about whether we can count on our government to provide adequate safeguards.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for Nonprofit Speech Rights (12/18/2007)
While ethics reform and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life were among federal developments in 2007 that strengthened citizen voices, threats to donor privacy and vague, inconsistent IRS enforcement of the ban on partisan activities by charities and religious organizations were among events that went from bad to just plain ugly. Here is a roundup:

Charities and National Security: Growing Awareness of Need for Reform (12/18/2007)
In 2007, the effects of the ineffective and counterproductive legal regime governing counterterrorism programs and charities demonstrated that the current system, based on a short-term emergency response to the 9/11 attacks, needs to be reassessed and reformed for the long term.

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