Publications :  The Watcher :  OMB Watcher Vol. 9: 2008 :  February 20, 2008 Vol. 9, No. 4 : 

In This Issue

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Assessing the Fiscal Stimulus Package (02/20/2008)
President Bush signed a two-year, $168 billion fiscal stimulus package on Feb. 13 — the largest legislative initiative ever designed to ease an economic slowdown. Although it was passed by overwhelming margins in the House (385-35) and Senate (81-16), there was considerable debate on how to structure the package so as to maximize its efficacy and stimulative impact on the economy.

Emergency War Spending Lacks Transparency, Increasingly Used for Non-Emergency Items (02/20/2008)
The Bush administration's emergency supplemental spending requests for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have lacked the transparency that normally accompanies the appropriations process, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). In addition, the CBO war spending report, however constrained by available data, revealed the composition of the war funding requests has been evolving into broader Defense Department spending initiatives, such as acquiring next-generation aircraft and replacing aging aircraft.

Coal Mine Safety Shortchanged by Years of Budget Cuts (02/20/2008)
Congress created the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in 1977, placing a new federal focus on miner safety and health. However, the agency's budget and staffing levels have been cut over the past three decades. The budget for MSHA's coal mine safety and health program has been particularly abused. In the past two years, a spike in coal mine fatalities and high-profile coal mine disasters have prompted many Americans and Congress to look to MSHA to improve miner safety, but years of budget cuts and the loss of qualified employees have left the agency struggling to fulfill its mission.

OMB Reports $508 Million in E-Gov Savings; Congress Remains Doubtful (02/20/2008)
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a report to Congress Feb. 14 that calculates the benefits of President Bush's 24 E-Government (E-Gov) Initiatives at approximately $508 million in Fiscal Year 2007, based on agencies' estimates. Congressional skepticism of the Initiatives, and subsequent reluctance to fund them, led OMB to develop a questionable funding mechanism using agency contributions from their annual budgets.

House Forces Expiration of Protect America Act (02/20/2008)
During the week of Feb. 11, the White House and Democrats in Congress exchanged blows over whether and how to extend the surveillance powers of the Protect America Act of 2007 (PAA). The Senate's approach, the FISA Amendments Act (S. 2248), included a provision granting immunity for telecommunications companies that helped the government monitor citizens through its warrantless wiretapping program. The House leadership, opposed to immunity for telecommunications companies, refused to consider the bill. Instead, House leaders wanted to pass a three-week extension of PAA powers to give themselves time to resolve differences with the Senate, but House Republicans blocked the move. As a result, the PAA expired at midnight Eastern time on Feb. 16. Despite the expiration, the government still has numerous surveillance tools available as debate continues.

EPA Bucks White House and Plans for Registry on Greenhouse Gases (02/20/2008)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started work on a draft rule creating mandatory greenhouse gas reporting requirements, even though President Bush's proposed FY 2009 budget does not provide funding for the rulemaking.

CDC Watering Down Great Lakes Report on Toxics (02/20/2008)
After significantly delaying the release of a report that identifies alarming toxic health risks for the Great Lakes region, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now reportedly planning to release a substantially modified document.

Senate Bill Would Regulate Robocalls during Election Campaigns (02/20/2008)
On Feb. 12, Senate Rules Committee Chair Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced S. 2624, the Robocall Privacy Act of 2008. The bill would place restrictions on how and when prerecorded messages, known as robocalls, can be made 30 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election. The bill would only affect prerecorded calls, not calls made by volunteers at phone banks.

SpeechNow Challenges FEC Contribution Limits for Independent Political Groups (02/20/2008)
SpeechNow.org, an independent organization whose stated mission is to advocate for the election of federal candidates who favor free political speech, has filed a lawsuit challenging federal campaign finance laws that prohibit contributions of more than $5,000 per year to political committees as an unconstitutional violation of free speech and association rights.

Ohio Restrictions on Voter Registration Drives Overturned (02/20/2008)
On Feb. 11, a federal judge in Ohio issued a permanent injunction blocking enforcement of a state law restricting voter registration activities. The Ohio law in question in Project Vote v. Blackwell limited the ability of third parties such as nonprofits to register citizens to vote in the state. Voting rights advocates hailed the decision as a victory for minority, disabled, and low-income voters who often rely on nonprofits to help with registration.

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