Government Matters Articles

‘Slow Down’ Is the Bipartisan Buzz for Social Security

As President Bush continues his efforts to raise anxiety across the country about the Social Security program, more and more members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican, are starting to speak uniformly on the need for patience in working towards a solution. Even House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan urged caution and called for further debate in approaching Social Security reform this past week.

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Negative Reactions to Budget Come from Both Sides of the Aisle

President Bush’s release of his budget proposal on Feb. 7 confirmed widespread speculation that its contents would prove unfavorable for a number of important agencies and social programs. The president stated many times in the weeks leading up to the budget release that his proposal for fiscal year 2006 (FY 06) would be “tough.” In a bold effort to cut our national deficit in half — the same deficit which is mostly the result of his costly tax policies — Bush proposed slicing and dicing funding for many domestic programs, which would result in the termination of some.

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President Bush's FY 06 Budget: An Overview

President Bush sent his proposed Fiscal Year 2006 (FY 06) budget to Congress on Monday, Feb. 7, in a package that is one of the most special-interest-driven budgets presented in a very long time. The new budget calls for a large transfer of benefits to corporate special interests and the most well-off through additional tax cuts, regulatory and litigation "reforms," and other measures that weaken public safeguards and government in general. At the same time, the president proposes cutting programs serving low- and middle-income Americans.

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Bush Budget Seeks Deep Domestic Cuts, Radical Budget Reforms

The President’s Fiscal Year 2006 (FY06) budget was released today and contains deep cuts in domestic discretionary spending outside of homeland security. Overall, the president’s $2.57 trillion budget seeks to cut non-defense domestic discretionary spending by one percent – eliminating dozens of popular government program and drastically reducing funding for many others.

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Budget Includes Anti-Regulatory Proposals

As expected, the White House included several threats of new anti-regulatory initiatives in today’s budget release to Congress. As OMB Watch reported earlier, the White House used the occasion of the budget release to announce two proposals for creating unelected commissions with far-reaching powers to weaken protections of the public health, safety, civil rights, and environment:

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    OSHA Must Improve Safety for Meat and Poultry Workers

    Recent reports highlight the dangerous and sometimes deadly working conditions faced by workers in the meat industry and the urgent need for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to take increased actions.

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    Bill Would Place Homeland Security Above All Law

    A bill to establish national identification card standards and restrict asylum claims also contains a controversial provision to empower the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive any and all laws in the course of securing the borders from illegal immigration. The provision also includes an exemption from judicial review that not only shields the waiver decisions from court scrutiny but also strips courts of any power to order remedies for anyone harmed by the consequences of such decisions. Background

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    HHS Withholds Study Results Showing Head Start Is Effective

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failed to publish two reports that show Head Start is effective in raising the academic performance of low-income children. The National Head Start Association (NHSA) recently leaked the data, noting that the Bush administration continues its efforts to dismantle the program. Head Start advocates have been fighting the administrationÕs proposals to restructure the program for more than two years.

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    Investigation of Agency Use of Funds for Propaganda Requested

    Several columnists, some with ties to nonprofits, have recently been the agents of covert propaganda for the Bush administration. An investigation by USA Today revealed that the Department of Education (ED) hired a public relations agency, Ketchum Incorporated, to promote the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). As part of this contract, Ketchum entered into a subcontract to pay Armstrong Williams, a conservative commentator, $240,000, to promote the NCLB. Two more cases of similar actions have surfaced, prompting the Campaign Legal Center to request an investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

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    Grassley Revenue Proposal Dims Chances for New CARE Act

    On Jan. 24, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) introduced S. 6, The Family and Community Protection Act of 2005, a tax and welfare reform bill that includes the Charity, Aid, Recovery and Empowerment Act (CARE). Although the bill was included in Majority Leader Sen. Bill FristÕs (R-TN) Republican Top Ten Agenda for 2005, recent moves by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) dim the ActÕs chances of success.

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