Schmidt, Colleagues Move to Undo Biden Administration’s Damage
Schmidt, Colleagues Move to Undo Biden Administration’s Damage
WASHINGTON, DC: Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) released the following statement after the House passed the Midnight Rules Relief Act today. This legislation – which Schmidt cosponsored – would empower Congress to more easily override regulations put forward by federal agencies in the final year of a president’s term of office, regulations often called “midnight rules” because they are rushed out the door before the administration ends.
“Kansans feel the effects of overregulation every day,” Congressman Schmidt said. “Restoring sanity in our federal government must include undoing the Biden administration’s last-minute flood of overbearing rules and regulations. I urge my Senate colleagues to quickly pass this legislation so we can right the ship and remove the heavy hand of government from Americans’ daily lives.”
BACKGROUND
A study from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found during the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations, federal agencies issued roughly 2.5 times more regulations during the last year of each President’s term than during the first three years. While the Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress to overturn a rule – or prevent the rule from taking effect – the law stipulates each rule must be considered individually.
H.R. 77, originally introduced by Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05), would allow Congress to consider multiple agency rules at once if they have been issued during the CRA lookback window.
From August 16, 2024-January 20, 2025, the Biden administration issued a staggering 1,406 agency rules; if passed, this legislation would allow Congress to jointly disapprove any number of these rules in one bill.
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