| In This Issue |
Federal Budget
Last-Minute Attempt to Add Estate Tax to Pension Reforms Fails
Household Debt: A Growing Challenge for American Families and Federal Policy
Last-Minute Attempt to Add Estate Tax to Pension Reforms Fails
Household Debt: A Growing Challenge for American Families and Federal Policy
Information & Access
Support Grows for Contracts and Grants Disclosure
Specter's Bill Remains a Threat to Civil Liberties
EPA's Science Advisory Board Opposes TRI Proposals
Chemical Security Debate Continues in House
Nonprofit Issues
Religious Groups Ask IRS to Revisit Audit Procedures
OPM Drops Problematic CFC Certification on Lobbying Expenses
Report Examines Political Coordination of Tax-Exempt Organizations
Regulatory Matters
Sunset Legislation Faces Vote on the Floor, Advocates Speak Out
Sunset Legislation Faces Vote on the Floor, Advocates Speak Out (07/25/2006)
The House will vote this week on two "sunset commission" bills, under which unelected commissions would be given the authority to recommend sweeping changes in the federal government and force those changes through Congress.
Last-Minute Attempt to Add Estate Tax to Pension Reforms Fails (07/25/2006)
Over the last week, Capitol Hill has been abuzz with speculation that House and Senate GOP leaders were engaging in a last-ditch effort to attach a provision gutting the estate tax to a sensitive and complicated pension reform conference report. The sneaky move failed, however, as Senate Majority Leader Bill First (R-TN) announced today he could not convince a number of key Republicans, particularly Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), to support it. In related news, President Bush has moved to gut IRS estate tax enforcement.
Household Debt: A Growing Challenge for American Families and Federal Policy (07/25/2006)
Mirroring the federal government's penchant for spending more money than it collects, the American public now has a negative net savings rate. Home prices, medical care, and college tuition are all growing faster than wages, and debt has become increasingly pervasive among American households.
Religious Groups Ask IRS to Revisit Audit Procedures (07/25/2006)
On July 17, 2006 an attorney representing several religious organizations wrote to the IRS requesting that the agency revise its new procedures for initiating audits of religious groups. According to the letter, the process is inconsistent with First Amendment protections codified by Congress in 1984, and was implemented without pubic notice or comment. The letter is the latest in a series of public criticisms of the IRS approach to oversight of religious and charitable organizations, including a recent OMB Watch report.
OPM Drops Problematic CFC Certification on Lobbying Expenses (07/25/2006)
Under pressure from nonprofit groups, the Office of Personnel Management, the independent federal agency that manages civil service government employment, proposed last month to drop an unclear certification requirement discouraging nonprofits from conducting legally-permissible issue advocacy.
Report Examines Political Coordination of Tax-Exempt Organizations (07/25/2006)
A new study by the Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) examines the electoral and advocacy roles played by different types of nonprofit organizations, and suggests possible reforms.
Support Grows for Contracts and Grants Disclosure (07/25/2006)
The financial and information management subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a July 18 hearing on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 2590). Support in the Senate for the bill that would create a free, searchable public database of government contracts and grants has surged in recent weeks, helping propel the issue forward.
Specter's Bill Remains a Threat to Civil Liberties (07/25/2006)
Legislation introduced by Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-PA) that would retroactively legalize the president's NSA wiretapping program will be the focus of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for July 26. The National Security Surveillance Act (S. 2543) would also create a legal framework for future surveillance of American citizens.
EPA's Science Advisory Board Opposes TRI Proposals (07/25/2006)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board (SAB) recently sent a letter to the agency expressing concerns over its plans to reduce information collected under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The SAB maintains that the proposed cuts would "hinder the advances of environmental research used to protect public health and the environment." SBA sent the letter detailing its concerns to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson on July 12.
Chemical Security Debate Continues in House (07/25/2006)
The House Homeland Security Committee is scheduled to mark up chemical security legislation later this week. The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006 (H.R. 5695), introduced by Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-CA) last month, currently has ten cosponsors. Critics of the bill, including a number of environmental and public interest groups, charge that it would actually lead to less security for our nation's chemical plants.