Protecting Nonprofit Rights Articles from OMB Watch

Panel of Experts Explain How the Work of Charities Counters Terror

 

Nonprofit sector leaders spoke at the Press Club on March 20 about how the work of charities counters terror. Listen to this panel event here and read a summary here.

How Will the Stimulus Package Impact Nonprofits?

 

The office of Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) has released a detailed analysis that explores how the recently enacted stimulus package (H.R. 1) will impact nonprofit organizations. While some sections of the analysis are Virginia-specific, the document offers an overview of some of the major impact areas as they relate to all nonprofits.

Resource Center: IRS Rules on Election Activities of Charities

 

IRS enforcement of the ban on partisan activities by charities and religious organizations leaves many groups uncertain about what is prohibited partisan intervention. Our resource center follows developments in the Political Activities Compliance Initiative (PACI) in working towards clear rules for nonpartisan voter engagement.

 

Articles & Analysis

Another Example of Dissent Being Equated With Terrorism

A question on a Department of Defense (DoD) training exam states that the exercise of First Amendment rights in the U.S. is an "example of low level terrorism". New DoD employees are being trained to select "Protests" as the answer to a question about identifying an act of terror. This is one of several examples of when dissent and protest is being equated with terrorism. Civil liberty advocates, like the ACLU, and political activists, are outraged at these "deeply disturbing" assertions.

(Suraj Sazawal 07/01/09) Read More >>

USAID Seeks Comments on Expanding PVS to Contractors

On Friday May 26 USAID published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comments on implementation of its problematic Partner Vetting System for acquisition awards. Comments are due August 25th. The notice notes that the final rule for NGOs has been delayed and that USAID "has not yet made a final decision on whether to implement PVS."

(Suraj Sazawal 07/01/09) Read More >>

Political Activist Detained by TSA Officials for Carrying Money; ACLU Files Suit

Coming just weeks after a Missouri Fusion Center bulletin warned of "rightwing extremists and militia members" supporting certain political parties, a political activist was detained by airport security after screeners spotted a metal box containing money. According to Bierfeldt, the money was the proceeds raised from selling campaign merchandise at a regional conference.

(Suraj Sazawal 06/30/09) Read More >>

Supreme Court Upholds "Preclearance" Provision in 1965 Voting Rights Act

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the "preclearance" provision in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 (NAMUDNO) v. Holder, a case in which a small utility district in Texas challenged Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Section 5, reauthorized by Congress in 2006, applies to all or parts of 16 states. It requires those states to get federal approval before changing election rules or procedures, due to past laws and practices that discriminated against and disenfranchised racial minorities. This provision is referred to as the "preclearance" provision.

( 06/30/09) Read More >>

ACLU Report Documents Ways U.S. Counterterrorism Laws Chill Muslim Donors, Charities

A June 2009 report from the American Civil Liberties Union details how US counterterrorism laws deny Americans their constitutional rights and have jeopardized national security. Blocking Faith, Freezing Charity: Chilling Muslim Charitable Giving in the “War on Terrorism Financing”, calls on the President, federal agencies and Congress to  rethink and redo laws and policies that make donating to charity and the humanitarian work of NGOs into suspect activities and provide little or no redress for the accused to respond to charges of supporting terrorism.

(Suraj Sazawal 06/16/09) Read More >>

Questions about LDA Guidance Remain

New congressional guidance on lobbyist reporting and registration termination under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) has sparked concerns over accuracy and potential conflicts with current law. The guidance addresses filing requirements for lobbyists, as well as criteria for deregistering as a lobbyist, particularly important given President Barack Obama's hiring rules that place restrictions on those who have lobbied in the past two years. The deregistration rules may create enormous loopholes that could result in non-reporting of lobbyist activities.

( 06/16/09) Read More >>

Grassley Seeks Disclosure of Ethics Waivers

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) is determined to make public every ethics waiver issued to former lobbyists who now work in the Obama administration. A Jan. 21 executive order put in place restrictions on lobbyists who work for the federal government. The order included a waiver process, allowing exemptions if the "application of the restriction is inconsistent with the purposes of the restriction" or if it is in the "public interest." Grassley is prodding the administration to disclose all waivers granted under the policy. Grassley has also requested information on every letter of recusal that waived employees have on file.

( 06/16/09) Read More >>

State Secrets Protection Act Passes House Subcommittee on Constitution Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

After hearing testimony on why the application of the executive state secret privilege needs to curtailed, a House subcommittee passed the State Secret Protection Act, but limited some appeals, and sent it to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration. Debate over a similar bill in the Senate has been repeatedly postponed. 

(Suraj Sazawal 06/15/09) Read More >>

Update: "Right-wing" Report Still Accumulating Critics and Supporters

A controversial DHS report that warned of "right-wing extremism" refuses to surrender its place in the public spotlight. Immediately condemned by veterans' groups and Republican lawmakers after its release in April 2009, the report is now being heralded by some as a timely warning in the wake of several acts of domestic violence that attracted national attention. The initial criticism of the report led to its withdrawal and triggered a House resolution exploring its creation. 

(Suraj Sazawal 06/15/09) Read More >>

Report: Red Cross Task Force Defines "Direct Participation in Hostilities" and Protected Civilian Status

As warfare moves away from the battlefield and armed forces of nation-states and is often conducted in densely populated cities and regions by organized armed groups, including terrorist organizations, the line between combatants and civilians has become increasingly blurred. To address the pertinent distinction, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released Interpretive Guidance on June 2, 2009 that clarifies the meaning of "direct participation in hostilities."  

(Suraj Sazawal 06/15/09) Read More >>