Welcome to OMB Watch's advocacy and citizen participation page!

Below, you'll find tools and resources that individuals and nonprofit organizations can use to get involved in the public policy process and our democracy.

Urge the Senate to Stand Up Against the Regulatory Accountability Act!
The Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 3010/S. 1606) would add dozens of new hoops to the federal rulemaking process, which would result in significant delays in developing standards and safeguards that are designed to protect all Americans from a variety of health, safety, and environmental hazards. Tell your senators that you do not support potentially putting the lives, health, and safety of millions of Americans at risk. Urge them to oppose the Regulatory Accountability Act!
Image by flickr user eutrophication&hypoxia, used under a Creative Commons license.

Tell the Senate: Oppose the REINS Act!
The REINS Act (H.R. 10/S. 299) would force each new major regulation to go through a congressional approval process, subjecting it to political infighting, special interest influence, and legislative gridlock. The legislation would delay and possibly undo critical safeguards that protect our civil rights, environment, food, children's toys, workplaces, health care, and economy. The bill would also further empower corporate lobbyists and their allies in Congress to ignore science and focus on politicking when it comes to the development of our public protections. Urge your senators to oppose the REINS Act today!

Sign up to receive policy updates, newsletters, action alerts, and more!

Signing up for OMB Watch e-mail lists that interest you is an easy way to get involved and stay informed. Our one-stop sign-up page allows you to subscribe to our biweekly newsletter (The Watcher), receive updates from our various policy areas, and note your interest in taking action on crucial legislative and regulatory matters.

Log In to the OMB Watch Community Center

Existing e-mail list members can log in to the new OMB Watch Community Center. Once inside the Community Center, you can:

• Update your profile, including any e-mail address changes
• Subscribe to The Watcher — our biweekly e-newsletter — and manage your other e-mail subscription preferences
• Participate in all of our active Action Alerts
• Make a contribution to OMB Watch
• Offer your ideas on how to further enhance the Community Center

So You Want to Make A Difference: Advocacy is the Key. So You Want to Make a Difference is an advocacy manual written by Nancy Amidei that seeks to help citizens feel more confident about getting involved in policy advocacy; to equip local leaders with tools so they can teach others about policy advocacy; and to stimulate involvement in democratic decision making and provide information about key resources. The manual is available for purchase from OMB Watch.

Learn How to Get Involved in the Federal Regulatory Process. Visit OMB Watch's Regulatory Resource Center to find out how to get involved in the federal regulatory process. The Center provides materials that can help you navigate the Federal Register and glean a rudimentary understanding of the complexities of the regulatory process.

Get Involved on Facebook at OMB Watch's Fan Page. OMB Watch has a Fan Page on Facebook. When you become a fan of our organization, you can view photos and videos; join and create discussion threads; and leave comments for us on our Wall.

NPAction: Nonprofit Advocacy Tools You Can Use. NPAction, a project of OMB Watch, provides a multitude of advocacy tools for nonprofit organizations. Beyond the tools, NPAction features news, updates, and other materials on building nonprofit advocacy capacity, lobbying, using the media, other outreach strategies, and nonpartisan voter registration and mobilization. Visit npaction.org today!

Seen but not Heard: Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy. OMB Watch staff worked cooperatively with other authors and the Aspen Institute to produce Seen but not Heard: Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy. Published in late 2007, the book serves as a comprehensive analysis of the results of the Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy Project, a joint research effort of OMB Watch, Tufts University, and the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest. The book should be of interest to anyone concerned with nonprofits, as well as anyone who makes policy and tries to influence it. It is written from the perspective of one who believes it is right, proper, and beneficial for nonprofits to engage in the formation of public policy. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.com.