Government Matters Articles

Obama Turning Back Clock on Some Bush Midnight Rules

The Obama administration is taking action to reverse controversial regulations finalized in the closing days of the Bush administration, including one affecting endangered species and another limiting access to reproductive health services.

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Experts Vie to Influence Obama on Regulatory Reform

Regulatory experts across the country are angling to change the way federal regulations are written and approved. Since President Barack Obama issued a memo Jan. 30 instructing his administration to rethink the executive order that governs the federal regulatory process, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been accepting public comments on ideas for reform and meeting with stakeholders.

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GAO Reports on Nonprofit Funding through Sub-Award Contracts

A recent report to the chairman of the House Budget Committee shows that the federal government relies on networks and partnerships to achieve its goals, and many of these involve nonprofit organizations. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, produced the report.

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Recovery Transparency Meets Mixed Results

Three weeks after President Barack Obama signed into law the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), states have begun to see federal economic stimulus funds move within their borders. Behind the hundreds of billions of dollars soon to follow are some 25 federal departments, agencies, and administrations that are in charge of allocating the funds. In addition to this unprecedented level of emergency spending is a pledge by Obama to "watch the taxpayers' money with more rigor and transparency than ever." The speed at which the administration and some federal agencies have moved is impressive, even as there has been uneven implementation of transparency efforts.

Find out more from the Coalition for an Accountable Recovery

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Sunshine Illuminates More Bush-era OLC Memos

On March 2, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a set of previously classified memoranda from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). OLC produced the documents for senior members of the George W. Bush administration. The release is yet another step in the Obama administration's implementation of its commitment to transparency.

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Industry Secrecy Still Hindering Protection from Toxics

The excessive use of confidential business information claims is a major factor preventing the government from safe, effective management of thousands of industrial chemicals, according to several experts who recently presented their views to a congressional panel. The witnesses asserted that when information about potentially dangerous chemicals is labeled as trade secrets, government agencies and the public are denied the opportunity to evaluate the risks of chemicals and take action to protect public health and the environment.

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Foundation Watchdog Releases Report on Enhancing Impact of Philanthropy

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), a national foundation watchdog organization, recently released a report titled Criteria for Philanthropy at its Best: Benchmarks to Assess and Enhance Grantmaker Impact. The report recommends four criteria and ten accompanying benchmarks for how grantmakers should improve their giving and management.

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Questions Loom for President's Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

On Feb. 5, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to help address the nation's social problems by strengthening the capacity of faith-based and community organizations. The executive order amends a Bush-era order that created the former Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Despite campaign promises, the Obama order does not reverse the Bush policy that allowed federal agencies to award contracts to faith-based organizations that discriminate in their hiring processes based upon religious affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

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Congress Looks to Complete Fiscal Year 2009 Funding Bills

On Feb. 23, the House released details of a $410 billion omnibus spending bill. The bill would continue funding large portions of the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The omnibus bill bundles appropriations for nine out of 12 spending bills set to expire on March 6. The Senate is expected to pick up the legislation the first week of March.

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EPA Inspector General Rips Program on Chemical Risks in Communities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in need of significant improvements in the implementation of the agency's Risk Management Program, according to a new report from the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG report highlights the need for greater accountability for the Clean Air Act program. However, EPA has refused to provide program data online, reducing the public's ability to ensure the safety of vulnerable communities.

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