| In This Issue |
"Unauthorized" Appropriations
Federal Budget
New Priorities and Future Tax Cuts
Information & Access
Critical Infrastructure Information
Nonprofit Issues
Faith-Based Initiatives Working Group Report Released
NPTalk: File Sharing Among Nonprofits
Regulatory Matters
OMB Watch Launches First Issue of the Executive Report
EPA Seeks to Delay Pollution Cuts for Utilities
The Bush Administration Weakens Wetlands Rules
Scalia Escapes Senate Confirmation to Become DOL Solicitor
New Priorities and Future Tax Cuts (01/22/2002)
Kennedy, Daschle and their Republican counterparts have made clear over the last 4 months that the nation is now facing new problems (on top of existing problems) and we cannot afford a debate over semantics. Instead, we must address the problems laid out by Daschle and Kennedy over the last 2 weeks and by the President in his State of the Union address next week.
Faith-Based Initiatives Working Group Report Released (01/22/2002)
| Court Rules Unconstitutional Direct Grant to Faith Works |
Recommendations are, for the most part, in agreement with the positions of OMB Watch on faith-based issues.
OMB Watch Launches First Issue of the Executive Report (01/22/2002)
This monthly report will provide an in-depth look at a variety of executive branch issues.
EPA Seeks to Delay Pollution Cuts for Utilities (01/22/2002)
Though announcement serves as another example of how the Bush administration will cater to industry interests at the cost of public health, EPA spokesperson says it is not an attempt to roll back the rule.
The Bush Administration Weakens Wetlands Rules (01/22/2002)
Scalia Escapes Senate Confirmation to Become DOL Solicitor (01/22/2002)
As Solicitor, Scalia has jurisdiction over a wide range of legal and regulatory issues, ranging from mine safety and job training, to migrant workers and pension rights.
Critical Infrastructure Information (01/22/2002)
OMB Watch is building a new website to serve as a central point of access to information on Critical Infrastructure Information.
NPTalk: File Sharing Among Nonprofits (01/22/2002)
NPTalk considers some benefits, and costs, around peer-to-peer for organizations.
"Unauthorized" Appropriations (01/22/2002)
Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued its annual House and Senate reports listing the various FY 2002 appropriations whose authorization has expired or will expire before the start of FY 2003.
Though it is often true that such programs get funded each year long after their authorizing language has expired, technically, such action requires a vote in each house of Congress. In practice, this means that programs whose authorization has expired can be used to force a debate on spending priorities -- a likely event in the coming budget process, as estimates of the FY 2002 budget deficit range from $40 - $70 billion. Though mandatory or "direct spending" programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, usually receive permanent authorization, CBO notes that others such as the Food Stamp program, "require periodic renewal."
For a list of which of the FY 2002 appropriations appear on CBO's list of expired or expiring authorizations, see the CBO reports