OIRA

  • Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator Howard Shelanski defended his office against claims from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee members that OIRA doesn't do enough to communicate with other agencies and with the general public.

    March 16, 2016
  • Senate lawmakers, White House officials and good government groups say the current way agencies develop regulations is broken. They agree it takes too long, is too complicated and not transparent enough.

    March 12, 2014
  • The top spots at a few key federal agencies are now officially filled following Senate confirmation votes this week. The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to approve Dan Tangherlini to be the administrator of the General Services Administration and Howard Shelanski to serve as the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget. Senators also OK'd Brian Deese to serve as OMB deputy director for budget.

    June 28, 2013
  • President Barack Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) pledged to clear up delays in the regulatory process if confirmed by the Senate. Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday, Howard Shelanski said improving the timeliness of OIRA's work -- which has come in for criticism from Republican lawmakers and transparency groups, alike -- is among his top priorities.

    June 12, 2013
  • President Barack Obama announced he will nominate Federal Trade Commission official Howard Shelanski to serve as the head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).

    April 25, 2013
  • The chairmen of the House Oversight and Judiciary committees have written to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) demanding to know why the public release of a report on upcoming federal regulations is behind schedule. In a letter to the agency, Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the chairmen of the Oversight and Government Reform and Judiciary committees, respectively, say OIRA has not been forthcoming about the expected publication date of a report that should have been released months ago.

    October 26, 2012
  • Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein is returning to Harvard, where he was the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law before coming to the Obama administration in 2009.

    August 03, 2012
  • Every agency issued updated open government plans, updating progress and detailing new initiatives for the next two years. NASA will change the way it designs and builds its websites. SSA will focus on health IT and putting services online.

    April 09, 2012
  • It\'s time to drain away unneeded federal regulations. Cass Sunstein, the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, told Federal News Radio when to expect final plans from executive agencies and how independent regulatory agencies are now getting in on the review process.

    July 15, 2011
  • Cass Sunstein, administrator at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, outlines details of an Executive Order for independent regulatory agencies\' compliance.

    July 11, 2011
  • The Office of Management and Budget has gotten preliminary plans for regulatory reform from 30 executive branch agencies after President Obama\'s January executive order calling for a review of unneeded or unjustified regulations. The White House also is encouraging independent federal agencies to submit their own plans, but OMB has gotten just a single page back so far.

    June 06, 2011
  • OIRA issues its second memo since the Plain Writing Act became law detailing deadlines and training requirements.

    April 14, 2011
  • Experts and lawmakers say the proof will be in the OIRA guidance to agencies in how impactful these reforms will be. Agencies must submit plans to OIRA in 120 days about how they will review existing regulations to ensure they are still relevant. Agencies will have to determine a cost-benefit analysis on existing rules.

    January 19, 2011
  • In an effort \"to root out regulations that conflict, that are not worth the cost, or that are just plain dumb,\" the President has signed an Executive Order requiring agencies to submit a plan to review existing regulations to ensure they are not burdensome. The mandate also details five steps agencies must take to improve their regulatory process. The White House wants better coordination among agencies when writing new rules.

    January 18, 2011