Government Matters Articles

Congress to Vote on Compromise SCHIP Package

House and Senate negotiators have agreed to an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that closely mirrors the earlier Senate version. The House is scheduled to vote on the package today, Sept. 25, with the Senate voting later in the week. President Bush has promised to veto the bill.

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U.S. Reaches Debt Limit: The Case for Long-Term Analysis

The Senate will vote soon on legislation to raise the ceiling on the national debt to nearly $10 trillion. This action is imperative as the statutory limit of $8.965 trillion on the United States' level of public debt will be reached by Oct. 1, according to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

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Wartime Commission Would Investigate Contracting Abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan

Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) have sponsored a bill (S. 1825) that would set up a commission to investigate and reform wartime contracting. It is likely the bill will be introduced as an amendment to the Defense Reauthorization Act that is currently being debated in the Senate. OMB Watch has sent a letter of support to Congress urging adoption of Webb's potential amendment. The Project on Government Oversight, Government Accountability Project, and Taxpayers for Common Sense also support the bill.

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New White House Guidelines Fit into Broad Attack on Federal Protections

The White House has issued new guidelines for federal agencies in conducting risk analysis. Risk analysis, of which risk assessment is a central factor, is a process by which agencies identify and evaluate risks such as toxic exposure or structural failure. Risk analysis often lays the scientific or technical foundation for public health and safety rulemakings.

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Congress Hears Pleas for Expanded Authority and Resources at CPSC

A proliferation of children's product recalls due to potentially dangerous exposure to lead has left many turning to the federal government for answers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has borne much of the brunt for the regulatory failures. Congress is considering solutions including new federal standards for lead, expanding the agency's regulatory authority and increasing agency resources.

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Nonprofits Challenge Two Florida Laws Regulating Voter Registration

Nonprofit groups have launched two separate efforts to challenge voter registration laws passed by the Florida legislature that would suppress voting, especially among minority populations. First, the U.S. Department of Justice has been asked to reject a recently passed law that would discourage nonprofit voter registration drives by making it difficult to collect and submit completed registration forms in batches. Second, a lawsuit was filed Sept. 18 challenging a requirement that all voter registration applications match Social Security or driver's license numbers.

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Senate Reviews Agencies' Attempts to Preempt Congress and the States

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Sept. 12 about federal agencies' practice of inserting into regulations language that removes consumers' ability to sue under state tort law those corporations whose products cause harm. In addition, the use of this preemption language limits the ability of state and local governments to protect the health, safety and welfare of their citizens. Federal preemption removes the targeted policy area from state and local jurisdiction and makes it almost exclusively a federal policy issue.

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OMB Watch Releases 'An Attack on Cancer Research'

OMB Watch released a report in late August that further documents industry's attempt to restrict access to health and safety information produced by the National Toxicology Program (NTP). The report comes just as Congress is investigating allegations of mismanagement, industry influence, and suppression of whistleblowers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the NTP.

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Parts of Patriot Act Ruled Unconstitutional

On Sept. 6, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that a controversial section of the USA PATRIOT Act is unconstitutional. In John Doe v. Gonzales, Judge Victor Morrerro ruled that the National Security Letter (NSL) provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act are in violation of the separation of powers doctrine and the First Amendment's protection of free speech.

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Wiretapping Made Simple

On Aug. 6, President Bush signed the Protect America Act of 2007 (PAA), granting the government the authority to wiretap anyone, including U.S. citizens, without any court approval as long as the "target" of the surveillance is located outside the U.S. The legislation will expire in six months, but members of Congress and concerned public interest groups are not waiting for the sunsets. They are seeking immediate revisions to address the invasion of privacy and erosion of civil liberties contained in the act.

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