OMB Watch

Our Issue Areas: Federal Budget Information & Access Nonprofit Advocacy Regulatory Policy

Groups Make Recommendations for Presidental Transition and Beyond
Several diverse groups have released or are formulating a variety of recommendations for President-elect Obama and the 111th Congress. These recommendations, which focus on issues of government transparency, regulatory reform and public protections, government performance, and charities and counterterrorism, were developed through various collaborative means. They are intended to provide Obama and Congress a roadmap toward restoring a workable, open, and effective federal government based on the concept of "We the People."
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Read the Government Transparency Recommendations

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Bush Changes to Employee Leave among First Midnight Rules
The Department of Labor has finalized a new rule that will affect the way workers take medical and family leave. It is among the first of many rules the Bush administration is expected to cement in the coming weeks.
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Get the Latest Updates on Midnight Regulations at Reg•Watch

Public Wants More Info on Food Labels
A national poll shows strong consumer support for improved food labeling and more frequent inspections of food-processing facilities. According to food safety advocates, Americans want labels that identify use of genetically engineered or cloned ingredients, as well as expanded country-of-origin labeling. Labels are one of the most effective means to inform the public about the health, safety, origins, and environmental impact of a product.
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More on Environmental Right to Know

Unemployment Insurance in Need of Overhaul
As the anticipated severity of the recession increases and unemployment estimates for 2009 reach as high as eight percent, Congress is under increased pressure to enact an extension of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, perhaps as early as the current lame-duck session. Yet a broader overhaul of the UI program is needed to improve this important safety-net program for American workers.
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More on Federal Fiscal Policy

Study Says Nonprofits Help, Not Hinder, the War against Extremism
On Oct. 30, the Fourth Freedom Forum and Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame released Friend Not Foe: Civil Society and the Struggle Against Violent Extremism. The report urges countries, including the United States, to move away from counterterrorism measures (CTMs) that harm nonprofits and do not improve security. The report also calls on nonprofits to be more proactive in countering misinformation and shaping policy alternatives.
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More on Nonprofits and National Security

Seen but not Heard Available on Amazon.com
We've made an important nonprofit policy advocacy resource easier to find online! OMB Watch has worked with The Aspen Institute to make Seen but not Heard: Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy available on Amazon.com. Published in late 2007, the book serves as a comprehensive analysis of the results of the Strengthening Nonprofit Advocacy Project, a joint research effort of OMB Watch, Tufts University, and the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest. The book should be of interest to anyone concerned with nonprofits, as well as anyone who makes policy and tries to influence it. It is written from the perspective of one who believes it is right, proper, and beneficial for nonprofits to engage in the formation of public policy.
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Purchase Seen but not Heard

More on the Importance of Nonprofit Advocacy