Government Matters Articles

House Moves to Give More Access for GAO, SIGTARP, and the Public

While the attention of many transparency advocates has been focused on the first round of recipient reporting under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Recovery Act), the House has been working on two financial transparency measures dealing with the Federal Reserve and use of the Wall Street bailout funds.

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State Governments Follow Federal Lead in Data Reporting Technology

President Barack Obama’s Jan. 20 inaugural promise to lead the most transparent administration in history has had a major impact on federal information technology, which has led to new developments in data reporting at the state level. Spurred by federal requirements to report Recovery Act spending, states have created new reporting technologies and new transparency experiments.

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OMB Watch Unveils Recovery Act Recipient Reports Database

On Dec. 3, OMB Watch released a beta version of a new database on FedSpending.org that gives the public improved access to and searchability of Recovery Act recipient report data. The database allows users to search more than 160,000 reports from recipients of almost $159 billion in Recovery Act contracts, grants, and loans awarded between Feb. 17 and Sept. 30.

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New OIRA Staffer Calls Attention to Office’s Role

The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), the clearinghouse for federal regulations, has brought in a conservative economist, Randall Lutter, to review regulatory proposals from agencies. The move has upset OIRA critics and unnerved those who interpret Lutter's past writings as a sign of his views on public health and environmental regulation. Those working inside government and those who know him argue that the criticisms of Lutter, a civil servant on temporary assignment to OIRA, are unfair.

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Secret Holds Continue in the Senate

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a Washington, DC-based watchdog group, recently called upon the Senate Committee on Ethics to investigate the ongoing use of secret holds. The organization contends that senators have failed to abide by Section 512 of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA), which ended the use of secret holds. The group requested the committee discipline senators from both parties who have failed to abide by the procedures, as well as issue guidance to govern future conduct.

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Study Shows Infants Exposed to Hundreds of Harmful Chemicals before Birth

A new study has found up to 232 industrial chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of infants born in 2007 and 2008. The identified chemicals include known carcinogens, neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors, and numerous other compounds toxic to various organs and systems. The study, commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Rachel's Network, reveals the extent of exposure to harmful substances faced by pregnant mothers and underscores the need to create public policies to prevent future exposures.

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Estate Tax Reform Bill Passes House, Moves to Senate

On Dec. 3, the House passed the Permanent Estate Tax Relief for Families, Farmers, and Small Businesses Act of 2009 (H.R. 4154). With time running short, the bill now moves to the Senate, where straight passage of it is uncertain, and passage of any estate tax legislation is anything but assured.

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MSHA Outlines Policy, Regulatory Agenda

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) began outlining its agenda for protecting workers with the announcement of a comprehensive plan to end black lung disease and the publication of its regulatory plan. MSHA had been headed by acting administrators during the last years of the Bush administration and has been slow to address many safety issues after a series of mine accidents and increased incidence of debilitating disease.

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How Will Proposed Anti-Prostitution Rules Impact Nonprofits?

On Nov. 23, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rulemaking to revise its implementation of an anti-prostitution policy requirement for organizations that receive HIV/AIDS funding from the agency. The requirement currently compels speech by government grantees.

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Group Asks FEC if Federal Election Law Preempts State Robocall Laws

Robocalls – automated phone messages – are one of the least expensive methods that political candidates use to reach voters. However, restrictions on unsolicited calls have complicated efforts by candidates who want to use political robocalls. While political robocalls are exempt from the national "do not call" registry, some states have implemented restrictions on them. A political organization is now asking whether these state laws run afoul of federal law.

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