February 7, 2017

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.  20515

Dear Representative,

You will soon consider several resolutions that would disapprove rules offered within the last six months of the Obama administration, pursuant to the Congressional Review Act.  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 the following resolutions:

Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-Wyo.) resolution to disapprove the Department of the Interior rule relating to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.  The rule complicates resource planning while reducing the amount of input from state and local governments. 

Rep. Brett Guthrie’s (R-Ky.) resolution to disapprove the Department of Education (DoEd) rule relating to teacher preparation issues.  The rule, which would mandate criteria states must use when measuring teacher preparation programs and tie eligibility for student aid to the rating of those programs, is an unprecedented overreach of the executive branch.  

Rep. Todd Rokita’s (R-Ind.) resolution to disapprove the DoEd rule relating to state plans for accountability systems under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  The rule contains provisions that significantly expand ESSA’s requirements and violate its limits by overreaching into K-12 education.

It is critical that Congress removes as many of the “midnight regulations” as possible forced on taxpayers by the previous administration.  All votes on these resolutions will be among those considered for CCAGW’s 2017 Congressional Ratings.

Sincerely, 

Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW