Rulemaking

The Attack on Regulatory Safeguards

Certain industry lobbyists and their allies in Congress are waging war against regulations, attempting to undermine the protections that keep our environment clean, our products and workplaces safe, and our economy prosperous. The legislative centerpiece of their campaign is H.R. 10, the REINS Act, which would require congressional approval for new rules. Find out more about what’s going on in Congress.

Articles & Analysis

Agencies Release Updates on Regulatory Look-backs

On Jan. 30, the White House announced that 25 federal agencies had released reports on their progress in carrying out retrospective rule reviews, part of the Obama administration's regulatory reform effort.

Jobs Council Misses the Mark, Offers Unbalanced Proposals that Could Undermine Public Protections

President Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness (Jobs Council) recently released its 2011 year-end report, Road Map to Renewal. The report comes one year after Obama tasked the Jobs Council with developing "a set of recommendations to create jobs in the short run and improve our nation's competitiveness over the long term." The report includes recommendations on tax reform, manufacturing, energy, innovation, education, and regulation and has been widely criticized for offering a one-sided "corporate" agenda. While the Jobs Council wrote that "getting the regulatory balance right is important," its proposals on regulatory "reform" narrowly favor corporate interests. The proposals, which mischaracterize the important role of regulation in protecting the American people, will not generate jobs or increase American competitiveness.

Regulatory Oversight and Congressional Horse Trading

Appointing Richard Cordray on Jan. 4 to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, President Obama said that he was stepping in to remedy a delay that "hurts our economy and puts people at risk." The Cordray situation is just one example of how obstructionism and other tactics have led to difficulties and delays in protecting the American people and the economy.

The Debate over Public Protections: Is the Middle Caving?

When the 112th Congress returns to Washington, the debate over public protections is certain to continue. However, developments within the Obama administration and Congress over the past few weeks are likely to change the conversation in 2012.

Government and Public Protections Under Attack in 2011

Big Business lobbyists and their allies in Congress waged systematic attacks against regulations in 2011, attempting to undermine the protections that keep our environment clean, our products and workplaces safe, and our economy prosperous. Underlying the charge against basic protections is an attack on government's role in safeguarding the general welfare of its citizens and in addressing the negative effects of irresponsible corporate behavior.

House Attack on Public Protections Continues with Passage of the REINS Act

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2011—The House today passed the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY), represents an extreme attack on safeguards that protect our environment, food, children's toys, workplaces, health, civil rights, and economy.

House Passes Regulatory Accountability Act in Attempt to Make It More Difficult to Protect the Public

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2011—Today, the House passed the so-called Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA), which was sponsored by Reps. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Collin Peterson (D-MN). The bill, if passed by the Senate and signed by President Obama, would make it far more difficult to protect the public from environmental, health, safety, and economic hazards.

Regulatory Accountability Act Threatens Essential Public Protections

For the past six decades, our nation's system of public protections has developed safeguards that protect us from health and safety threats. Now, however, the misleadingly titled Regulatory Accountability Act could turn this system on its head, allowing more special interest influence and inviting endless rounds of litigation.

Anti-Regulatory Attacks Coming in Both the House and Senate

While most Congress watchers have been focusing on the work of the Super Committee, anti-regulatory activists in both the House and the Senate have been working hard to undercut some of the most important safeguards that protect Americans.

House Judiciary Committee Attempts to Make It More Difficult to Protect the Public

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2011—Today, the House Judiciary Committee approved the so-called Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA). The bill is the second piece of regulatory process legislation approved by the committee in the past two weeks that would make it more difficult to protect the public from environmental, health, safety, and economic hazards.