Government Matters Articles

EPA Proposes Tough Diesel Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently unveiled a proposal to significantly reduce harmful emissions from non-road diesel engines used in construction, agricultural and industrial equipment. Non-road diesel engines “emit roughly two-thirds of vehicle-related particulate (or soot) emissions nationally, and almost one-fourth of the country's total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), the main ingredient in smog,” according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

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Court Blocks Administration From Weakening Dolphin-Safe Tuna Label

A federal district court preliminarily enjoined efforts by the Bush administration to allow countries, such as Mexico, to label their tuna “dolphin safe” even if dolphins were chased and encircled in nets in order to catch fish swimming beneath them.

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Administration Stifles Objections to Pentagon Pollution Exemptions

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator John Peter Suarez has expressed strong support for proposals to exempt the Department of Defense from a host of environmental laws despite serious objections from his own staff.

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Read the Watcher in Full in Easy-to-Print PDF Format

For your convenience, the OMB Watcher is also available in full as a PDF document -- this will allow for viewing and printing of the entire issue in one document.

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Dynamic Disappointment

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released the final version of its March 7 report, entitled “An Analysis of the President’s Budgetary Proposals for Fiscal Year 2004.” The revised version of this report was eagerly awaited for its special section on the “Potential Macroeconomic Effects of the President’s Budgetary Proposals.” A macroeconomic – or “dynamic” – evaluation has never been offered by CBO, and both proponents and critics of the controversial scoring method were anxious to learn what the CBO report would reveal. For many, it seems that the long-awaited results were disappointing in their ambiguity.

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Chemical Security Re-Emerges in Senate

During the last session of Congress, Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) made a tremendous effort to move a Chemical Security Bill that would require chemical plants to assess their vulnerabilities and take steps to reduce the risk they pose to surrounding communities. Unfortunately, due largely to efforts by the chemical industry to oppose the bill, Corzine’s bill was blocked from ever being considered by the full Senate.

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CDF Hosts Rally and Presidential Candidates Forum April 9

On Wednesday, April 9, from 2-3 pm, join the Children’s Defense Fund for a rally to remind Congress how to really Leave No Child Behind. The rally will be held in the Upper Senate Park (at the corner of Louisiana and New Jersey Avenues, NW). Register for the event by calling 202-662-3582. Later that night, at 7 pm, CDF will hold a Presidential Candidates Forum in Washington, DC. The candidates include all the Democratic challengers and the forum will be moderated by CNN’s Judy Woodruff. No more tickets for this forum are available.

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Status of FY 2004 Budget Resolution -- Still Time to Stop Huge Tax Cuts, Spending Cuts

As discussed in newspapers across the country, support for preserving the President's costly $726 billion tax cut package (misnamed the "Growth Package") is weakening. On March 25, the Senate voted to shrink the $726 billion package down to $350 billion. (In an earlier vote, the House passed the full $726 billion tax cut - and more than $260 billion in cuts to veterans' assistance, Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps and other programs - in a very close vote, 215-212.)

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Virginia Senate Preserves State Estate Tax

In an April 3 victory both for proponents of preservation of a fair estate tax and for the cash-strapped state of Virginia, itself, the Virginia Senate fell 2 votes short of the 27 it needed to override Gov. Mark Warner’s (D) veto of repeal of the state’s estate tax. The state is currently facing a deficit of at least $1.1 billion for FY 2004, which starts on July 1, 2003.

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Faith-Based Grant Rules Debate Shifts to House

Now that the Senate has agreed to proceed with the CARE Act without the "equal treatment" provisions addressing government grant rules for faith-based charities, the House of Representatives is currently taking up the issue in bills addressing national service and job training. Both houses are expected to consider these issues in depth when welfare reform programs are reauthorized later this year.

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