Department of Education: Excellence in Data Collection Leadership
Jul 31st
Editor’s Note: The following quote from a new GAO report demonstrates the Department of Education’s government-wide leadership in ensuring compliance with an essential Good Government law. The complete GAO report is available here.
OMB officials told us they were not involved in Education’s inventory initiative, but said they considered the creation of a data collection inventory to be a best practice for federal agencies. OMB officials added that they were not aware of similarly comprehensive inventories at any other agencies, noting that Education was a leader in this practice.
Howard Shelanski sworn in as new regulations chief
Jul 10th
From: UPI
WASHINGTON, July 10 (UPI) — Howard Shelanski was sworn in Wednesday as administrator of the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
Shelanski is in charge of reviewing most of the new rules from federal governmental agencies before they are proposed or issued.
Shelanski’s first task will be dealing with 140 rules and proposals now being reviewed by the office, including ones held up there for years, The Hill reported.
Shelanski said he would try to reduce the delays on new regulations and to make the regulation-making process more transparent, adding that public involvement and oversight is “critically important,” the Washington publication said.
Nixon Got It Right
Jun 16th
The crucial difference between the former and later statements is that President Nixon, through OMB Director George Shultz, established the detailed management and analytic procedures to necessary to reward enterprise and ensure “that the American quality of life is guaranteed for future generations.”
Regulatory nominee warned about ‘burdensome’ rules
Jun 13th
From: Politico
By DARIUS DIXON
Senate Republicans sought to drill a few messages into the head of the White House’s incoming regulatory czar Wednesday: Beware of “unintended consequences” and “burdensome” rules that hurt the economy.
Those messages were delivered at the nomination hearing for Howard Shelanski, President Barack Obama’s pick to lead the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a position that is little known outside Washington but that plays a major role as a gatekeeper of new regulations.
A regulations czar to please everyone? Shelanski walks the line
Jun 12th
From: Business Journal
Kent Hoover, Washington Bureau Chief
Howard Shelanski walked a tightrope at his Senate confirmation hearing today — good preparation for the balancing act that awaits him as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
That’s the office inside the White House that reviews agency regulations before they’re issued. It will be Shelanski’s job — if he’s confirmed — to make sure these regulations are based on strong evidence, and that their costs to the economy are considered, along with their benefits to the public.
Precautionary Principle Panel Discussion
Jun 11th
From: Regulatory Studies Center/George Washington University
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) invites you to attend a panel discussion cohosted by The George Washington University’s Regulatory Studies Center and Center for Risk Science and Public Health, and the Society for Risk Analysis – NCAC
When: Monday, June 24, 2013 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Where: The George Washington University, Marvin Center 800 21st St. NW Marvin 309 Washington, DC 20052
Panelists:
- Dr. Gary Marchant, Regents’ Professor of Law, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University
The Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis
Jun 5th
The White House has released “Technical Support Document: Technical Update of the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis Under Executive Order 12866” prepared by the Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon with participation by OMB, OSTP, CEA, CEQ, the National Economic Council, EPA and other agencies. The document is attached here. Below is an excerpt. (click to enlarge)
The Biggest Supreme Court Ruling You Haven’t Heard Of
Jun 2nd
The Supreme Court has yet to decide this year’s attention-grabbing cases on same-sex marriage, affirmative action and the Voting Rights Act. But several days ago, a divided court decided Arlington v. FCC, an important victory for Barack Obama’s administration that will long define the relationship between federal agencies and federal courts.
The underlying question was this: If a law is ambiguous, who gets to interpret it? Federal judges or the agency that carries it out? Who interprets the crucial ambiguities in the Affordable Care Act, the Clean Air Act or the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act?
“One of OIRA’s most important missions….”
May 24th
Editor’s Note: The following is a brief excerpt from a Commentary article by Cass R. Sunstein, “The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs: Myths and Realities.” The complete Commentary may be found here, http://www.harvardlawreview.org/media/pdf/vol126_sunstein.pdf.
One of OIRA’s most important missions is to increase the likelihood that rulemaking agencies will benefit from dispersed information inside and outside the federal government. OIRA sees itself as a guardian of a well-functioning administrative process. Federal officials, most of them nonpolitical, know a great deal, and the OIRA process helps to ensure that what they know is incorporated in agency rulemakings. In addition, those outside of the federal government often have indispensable information, and OIRA understands one of its crucial tasks as encouraging the receipt and careful consideration ofthat information.
Rules of Engagement
May 22nd
From: Olin Business School/Washington University
by Alexis-Clair Roehrich
Another busy day for Olin students in Washington, D.C. in the Business & Government: Understanding and Influencing the Regulatory Environment course. Tim Keating, Senior Vice President of Government Operations at Boeing, kicked off the morning presentations with some tales from one of the most influential groups in the Capital: lobbyists.
A masterful storyteller, Tim shared eye-opening examples of the importance of developing relationships and engagement in ongoing conversations with policymakers. He discussed how essential grass-roots efforts have an impact on decision-making. Students may not become full time lobbyists, but they will understand the need to engage corporate headquarters and field units in the policy making process.