Recently released documents related to the nomination of John Roberts for chief justice of the Supreme Court reveal concerns he had over a 1983 proposal that would have prohibited recipients of federal grants or contracts from using their own money for lobbying and other forms of advocacy. The nonprofit community congratulated itself for beating back this "defund the left" proposal. The documents, however, suggest that what was heralded as a victory for nonprofits may have had more to do with the potential negative impact of the proposal on defense contactors such as TRW and Boeing.

House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) has established a congressional task force to review and make recommendations on how to 'improve' the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As the task force holds hearings around the country, however, environmentalists and ordinary citizens are finding it difficult to participate.

DKT International, a Washington-based charitable organization, has filed suit against the U.S. government over a grant condition that dictates organizations adopt a specific policy statement, while a second organization has lost federal funding as a result of a suit brought for noncompliance with grants rules for faith-based organizations.

Responding to Democratic-sponsored lobbying and ethics reform bills recently introduced in the House and Senate, the American League of Lobbyists (ALL) recently adopted a set of principles to guide lobbying reform. Among its recommendations is an expansion of the definition of lobbying to cover all types of legislative advocacy efforts, include advertising, media campaigns and grassroots efforts that are currently exempt from filing and disclosure requirements forms.