Publications :  The Watcher :  OMB Watcher Vol. 7: 2006 :  April 18, 2006 Vol. 7, No. 8 : 

In This Issue

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Sunset Commission Proposal Would Put Gov't Programs on Chopping Block (04/18/2006)
House conservatives have reportedly secured a floor vote for a radical sunset commission proposal that would ram program terminations through Congress.

EPA Forced to Turn Over Documents on Controversial Mercury Program (04/18/2006)
A federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 13 to release documents related to an analysis of alternatives to its controversial power plant mercury 'cap and trade' program. After the agency rejected a July 2004 request for the documents under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly filed a lawsuit in March 2005 against EPA to obtain the information.

In Ethics Reform, Congress Proposes Ways to 'Follow the Money' (04/18/2006)
In response to the ongoing corruption scandals unfolding in our nation's capitol, Congress has taken up efforts to pass lobby and ethics reform. Among the provisions proposed for inclusion in lobby reform legislation was one that simply seeks to uncover where taxpayer dollars are going, specifically money spent on government contracts and grants. Unfortunately, at this point the provision appears unlikely to be included in final legislation.

EPA Releases 2004 Toxic Release Inventory, Draws Questionable Conclusions (04/18/2006)
Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publicly released 2004 data on releases and disposals of toxic pollution throughout the country. EPA stressed that overall the data shows a 4 percent reduction in total release and disposal of toxic chemicals. When examined more closely, however, the data reveals a number of troubling trends in the 2004 data. The data is available for searching on OMB Watch's Right to Know Network (RTK NET) as well as EPA's TRI Explorer.

Report, Legislation Drive Push to End Pseudo-Classification of Information (04/18/2006)
No government-wide policies or procedures currently exist to guide agencies through deciding what information should be withheld from the public due to its "sensitive but unclassified" nature. The federal agencies are also without uniform rules that govern who makes such designations and how such information is handled, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Legislation introduced by Reps. Tom Davis (R-VA) and Henry Waxman (D-CA), unanimously approved by the House Committee on Government Reform, would remedy many of the problems identified in the GAO report.

Grassroots Lobbying Issue Hits the FEC and the Courts (04/18/2006)
OMB Watch was among a varied group of nonprofit organizations that filed comments at the Federal Election Commission (FEC) urging it to quickly begin the process of rulemaking that would exempt grassroots lobbying from federal election regulation. At issue is a ban under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) on "electioneering communications," broadcasts that refer to federal candidates within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary. At the same time, a constitutional challenge of the ban filed by Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL) works its way through the courts, and a Maine group launched a similar suit on April 3. Nonprofits that want to use broadcasts for lobbying efforts are anxious for a decision before this year's election season.

Ohio Church Complaint Raises Questions of Fairness in IRS Enforcement (04/18/2006)
In an unusual case, 31 religious leaders in Ohio have written to the IRS objecting to inaction on a complaint against two Ohio mega-churches and their affiliates. The complaint filed in January alleges violation of the tax law's prohibition on partisan electoral activity by 501(c)(3) groups, which include religious organizations. Fairfield Christian Church, World Harvest Church and their respective affiliates, according to the group of pastors, carried out activities intended to help Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell in his bid for Ohio's governorship.

Lobby Reform: House Moves Towards Floor Vote (04/18/2006)
House Republican leaders are weighing options to bring lobby reform to the floor after five committees reported out provisions that both Democrats and watchdog groups are calling toothless and ineffective.

House Votes to Regulate Independent 527s Like Campaigns, Parties (04/18/2006)
The House of Representatives passed legislation that would subject independent political committees, exempt under Section 527 of the tax code, that work on federal elections to essentially the same contribution limits and reporting requirements as federal candidate campaigns and political parties. H.R. 513, the 527 Reform Act of 2005, passed the House on April 5 by a vote of 218-209.

Gearing Up for a May Estate Tax Vote (04/18/2006)
As the May vote in the Senate to repeal the estate tax approaches, nonprofit advocacy groups around the country are stepping up their campaign to save the nation's most progressive tax and a vital source of revenue. OMB Watch urges individuals to email Senators today and let lawmakers know America favors preserving the estate tax and opposes repeal or back-door "reform" that would amount to repeal.

House Fails to Agree on Budget; Boehner Retreats (04/18/2006)
After proposing a sparse budget on March 29 and following a intense and divisive few weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, House GOP leaders ultimately pulled the plug on the $2.8 trillion FY 2007 budget resolution late on April 6. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), who admittedly spent the week "popping Advil" in preparation for difficult negotiations with his colleagues, failed time and again to emerge from these talks with enough votes to pass the resolution--a significant setback in what was his first real test as the new Majority Leader.

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