Government Matters Articles

Immigration Plan Complicates Supplemental Spending Bill

When President Bush recently announced in his address to the nation his immediate plans for immigration reform, he didn't mention how the proposals would be paid for. A few days later, on May 18, he officially requested $1.9 billion from Congress to spend on his border security initiative. Congress will likely approve the president's request as part of the delayed Fiscal year 2006 Supplemental Appropriations bill currently in conference between the House and Senate.

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Return of the Senior Death Discount?: Heinzerling Takes On Mannix

Is the senior death discount back? It may be, if a recent speech by an Environmental Protection Agency official is any indication.

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Federal Grant Rules in the Courts

Decision Favors Charity, Another Case Challenges OMB Favoritism of Faith-Based Groups In a victory for nonprofit advocacy rights, a sweeping restriction on the privately-funded speech of nonprofits that participate in the U.S. government's international HIV/AIDS program has been held in violation of the First Amendment. Meanwhile, a challenge is being mounted against an OMB grading system allegedly used to encourage an increase in government funding to religious charities.

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Lobby Reform Bill Squeaks Through House

A lobbying and ethics reform bill that barely passed the House last week is headed to what will likely be a contentious conference between the House and Senate, with lawmakers far from agreement on what to do about legislative earmarks, congressional travel paid by non-governmental entities, and 527 organizations, among other issues.

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Federal Court Rejects Challenge to Limitations on Grassroots Broadcasts

On May 9 a federal court denied the Christian Civic League of Maine's (CCLM) request for a preliminary injunction, allowing a Federal Election Commission (FEC) rule that bans "electioneering" broadcasts to be applied to the nonprofit group. The FEC prohibits broadcast references to federal candidates 30 days before a primary or 60 days before an election. Because the injunction was rejected, starting on May 14 and lasting until June 13 (when the senate primary in Maine takes place) CCLM will be barred from airing grassroots lobbying ads urging people in Maine to contact Sen.

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Congress Could Save TRI from EPA's Chopping Block

Congress is expected to vote on an amendment this week that would save the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) from changes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed in September 2005 and expects to finalize this December. The Pallone-Solis Toxics Right to Know Amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill would prevent the EPA from spending money to finalize the proposals. The amendment is welcome news to environmental, public health, first responder, and labor groups, who have mounted a campaign to compel the EPA to drop its plans to reduce information on toxic pollution.

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Update: Boehner Makes Sunset Commission Proposal Legislative Priority

House of Representatives Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has begun work behind the scenes to draft new sunset commission legislation and has signaled to his party that the sunset commission will be a legislative priority.

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Playing Politics with Government Contracts

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Alphonso Jackson suggested at a forum in Dallas that federal contracts would not be awarded to those who have political disagreements with President Bush. He described a meeting with a contractor that was about to receive federal money until the contractor expressed his disapproval of the president. Jackson has since told reporters that he made the story up and that federal contracts are not awarded on the basis of political ideology.

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House Fails to Pass Budget Again--Approps Move Forward Just the Same

House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) once again failed to bring the budget resolution to the floor last week despite rumors and rumblings from the GOP leadership that passage of the bill was imminent. Having reached a compromise with Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Boehner was still unable to garner enough support from within the Republican caucus to hold a vote. Considering the difficulty of finding agreement in conference with the Senate at this late date, passing the resolution is now bordering on pointless anyway.

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Dishonest Budget Gimmick Enables Passage of Irresponsible Tax Cuts

One day after the House passed the $70 billion tax reconciliation measure, the Senate passed it as well, sending the bill to President Bush for his signature. With these tax cuts, this Congress has once again proven itself to be a body determined to shirk fiscal responsibility and kowtow to the regressive, revenue-draining tax policies of this administration. And it was all made possible by a dishonest budget gimmick.

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