Politics

Issa Introduces Bill To Wipe Out Last Minute Obama Regulations

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Kerry Picket Political Reporter
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Republicans have put forward a plan to stop Obama administration’s last minute regulations Tuesday. These “midnight regulations” published after the 2016 presidential election could cost the American taxpayer over $44 billion.

California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa re-introduced legislation Tuesday that would allow Congress to overturn executive branch regulations finalized in the last 60 legislative days of an outgoing presidential administration. RELATED: REPORT: Obama Rushes $44 Billion Worth Of Regs Before Leaving Office

The bill amends the Congressional Review Act, which would allow Congress to recoup the ability to essentially curb numerous regulations rushed through the regulatory process in the last days of an outgoing administration at one time.

Issa’s office claims the bill is designed “to stem a growing trend by Presidents, of both parties, to use their last few months in office to rush in costly, expensive or controversial new regulations.”

The legislation, expected to be approved by the House Wednesday, was already introduced with support from the Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Tom Marino.

“Regulations impacting the economy, the environment, families, and our community should be done with great caution and transparency, not get rushed in last-minute on a President’s way out of office. This is a good piece of legislation that will help keep this and future Presidents in check. The Midnight Rules Relief Act is a reasonable plan to strengthen executive branch oversight, giving Congress a better tool to ensure regulations are limited and, when necessary, approved in an open and transparent manner,” Issa said in a statement.

He added, “We have a responsibility to ensure that unaccountable, last-minute regulations don’t continue crippling our economy, crushing small business and raising costs on middle-class families.”

The conservative American Action Forum (AAF) put together a list of 40 rules scheduled to be published in the Federal Register since November 2016, and these regulations are estimated to cost up to $75 billion.

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