The Aug. 6 mine collapse at the Crandall Canyon coal mine in Utah, which trapped six coal miners and led to the deaths of three rescue workers, again calls into question the effectiveness of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The mine operators were working under a plan approved by MSHA in June, just months after serious structural problems forced the operators to abandon a work area only 900 feet from where the miners are trapped.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted 10-9 to approve the Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act (S. 595) on July 31. The act would reverse a December 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule change to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) that significantly reduced toxic release reporting requirements for polluting facilities.

Just before Congress broke for its August recess, members vastly expanded the Bush administration's authority to wiretap communications without warrants.

On Aug. 3, OMB Watch sponsored a panel discussion to address the pros and cons of creating a bright line rule defining what is and is not prohibited partisan intervention in elections by charities and religious organizations. The panelists addressed problems created by the current "facts and circumstances" test, which allows the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to apply its interpretation of the standard on a case by case basis. They also discussed action the nonprofit sector can take to propose and promote a bright line test.