This week, the Government Accountability Office released a report on the rulemaking process. GAO had been asked by Congress in 2007 to assess agency rulemaking practices and to pay particular attention to the role of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) – the Executive Branch gatekeeper for all things regulatory.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced today that it is seeking public input on ways to restore scientific integrity in the federal government. In March, President Obama asked OSTP to come up with recommendations on a variety of issues situated at the nexus of science and politics.

Update (3/30/09): Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31, is the final day to submit comments to OMB. You can submit comments by emailing them to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov or faxing them to (202) 395–7245.

On Jan. 30 President Obama issued a memo asking federal agencies to help him reform the regulatory process. Obama asked White House Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag to spearhead the effort, and set a deadline of 100 days. (The memo is here, background on the memo is here.)