OMB Watch

Our Issue Areas: Federal Budget Information & Access Nonprofit Advocacy Regulatory Policy

Seen but not Heard Now Available on Amazon.com
We've just made an important nonprofit policy advocacy resource easier to find online! OMB Watch has worked with The Aspen Institute to make Seen but not Heard: Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy available on Amazon.com. 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.
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Purchase Seen but not Heard

More on the Importance of Nonprofit Advocacy Rights

Toxic Assessment Delays Block New Standards
A House panel recently examined efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study human exposure to, and toxic effects of, common industrial chemicals. EPA is not assessing enough chemicals and is taking too long to complete the assessments it does undertake, lawmakers said. Witnesses complained that without rigorous scientific studies as a foundation, federal and state agencies cannot set air and water quality standards that protect public health.
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Download a Factsheet on IRIS

More on White House Interventions in Regulatory Policy

House Caves on Telecom Immunity in FISA Bill
After months of negotiations and stalled efforts, the House leadership reached common ground with the White House in passing a bill that reforms the legality of foreign surveillance and grants telecommunications companies retroactive immunity for assisting in warrantless wiretapping. On June 20, the House passed the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 6304) by a vote of 293 to 129. Despite opposition from key senators and the public interest community, at this point it appears likely to pass the Senate as well.
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More on Homeland Security

Fiscal Responsibility, War Critics Take a Back Seat in House War Supplemental
When the House Democratic leadership introduced a supplemental appropriations bill the week of June 16, chock-full of popular spending measures, it ensured easy passage of the $257 billion package. The Democrats and President Bush can each claim they won items in the negotiation over the bill: the Democrats won increased spending on domestic programs; Bush was able to kill any requirements for withdrawal of soldiers from Iraq. Yet the bill remained controversial because the Democrats refused to include fiscally responsible measures or accede to the opinion of 63 percent of Americans that soldiers should return home within two years.
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More on Federal Budget and Tax Policy

Grassroots Lobbying Campaign on Climate Bill Runs into FEC Rules
Two recent grassroots media campaigns promoting action on climate change learned that campaign finance rules can be a trap for unwary advocates, illustrating how federal election law has reached beyond partisan campaigning to treat traditional grassroots issue advocacy like electioneering. Both ads appeared to comply with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) prohibition on intervention in elections.
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More on Nonprofits and Issue Advocacy

OMB Watch on Health, Safety, and Environmental Protections
In OMB Watch's first YouTube video, Executive Director Gary Bass discusses the importance of public protections; the Bush administration's track record on such protections; and what the American people can do to take our country back from the big-monied special interests that are endangering our health and safety. Be sure to leave comments on our YouTube page with suggestions for future videos!

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View Related Blog Post, "Consumers Left in the Dark on Food Safety"

More on the Importance of Public Health, Safety, and Environmental Protections

OMB Watch Releases 2007 Annual Report
OMB Watch recently released its 2007 Annual Report. In exploring the organization's accomplishments and challenges, the report summaries our work on federal fiscal policy, access to and availability of useful government information, citizen and nonprofit engagement in our democracy, and public protections that impact the lives of all Americans. The publication also expresses appreciation to the donors who make our work possible and illustrates how OMB Watch uses contributions to advance the public interest.
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Read the 2007 OMB Watch Annual Report

Help Support Our Work in 2008 by Becoming a Donor

OMB Watch turns 25 this year! Visit our special 25th Anniversary page to learn about the variety of ways that you can help us celebrate this milestone.

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Make a special contribution in honor of our 25th Anniversary, and you'll support our continued pursuit of a more open and accountable government that promotes fairness and equity.

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