July 28, 2015            
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.  20515

Dear Representative: 

You will soon vote on H.R. 427, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, sponsored by Rep. Todd Young (R-Ind.).  On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to support this legislation.   

Many regulations are far-reaching and place significant new burdens on American businesses and taxpayers.  Since 2010, four-hundred and eight major regulations were established that would impact the economy by at least $100 million each, as determined by the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.  A Small Business Administration study found that regulations add costs ranging from $7,755 to $10,585 per employee depending on the size of the company. 

Unfortunately, members of Congress are not required to approve major federal regulations finalized under their watch.  Current law only allows for members to pass a resolution of disapproval in an effort to overturn major rules.  This unchecked power of the executive branch and the lack of congressional oversight has allowed for the establishment of onerous regulations like the Environmental Protection Agency rule (effective January 1, 2010) establishing a mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reporting program for sources with emissions that exceed 25,000 tons per year.  In the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, there are at least 40 provisions that require federal rulemaking.

H.R. 427 would require Congress to approve every major rule proposed by the executive branch before it can be imposed on Americans.  Once a major rule is drafted, it must be voted on by both the House and Senate and signed by the President.  Agencies will be required to clearly classify rules as either major or non-major and justify their classification in terms of the statutory definition of the rule.  Such a process will help safeguard taxpayers from unnecessary and onerous regulations and ensure that federal agencies do not overstep their bounds.   

I strongly urge you to support this important legislation to protect Americans from unnecessary regulatory burdens and to ensure a high standard of quality and accountability in the nation’s rule-making process.  All votes on H.R. 427 will be among those considered in CCAGW’s 2015 Congressional Ratings.

Sincerely,

Tom Schatz

President, CCAGW