November 17, 2016

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

Dear Representative,

You will soon consider H.R. 5982, the Midnight Rules Relief 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 this important legislation.

The Congressional Review Act (CRA) empowers Congress to review new federal regulations within 60 legislative days of issuance by government agencies.  It permits Congress to overrule regulations with the passage of a joint resolution of disapproval and a presidential signature; otherwise, the regulation goes into effect if Congress does not or is unable to pass a disapproval resolution.

As President Obama prepares to leave office, a barrage of burdensome “midnight regulations” is expected to extend the president’s agenda long after he is gone.  These new regulations would be added to the 20,642 regulations issued since he took office in 2009.  According to a September 21, 2016 report by the House Committee on the Judiciary, midnight rules are rushed and lack the necessary vetting to determine the policy implications and regulatory impact.  Moreover, the report reveals that the Obama administration intends to adopt rules in November and December that would cost a minimum of $5.3 billion.  This expected avalanche of new regulations in a compressed period of time will make it impossible for Congress to dedicate the necessary attention that each deserves.

H.R. 5982 amends the CRA to allow for the disapproval of several regulations at once, or en bloc.  It also allows for the consideration of regulations submitted in the final 60 legislative days of the previous Congress.  This legislation will give Congress an adequate amount of time to review new federal regulations and, if necessary, disapprove of onerous, last-minute regulations imposed by an outgoing administration as quickly as possible.

H.R. 5982 is a critical step in wiping the regulatory slate clean and allowing the next Congress to focus on important, growth-oriented legislative priorities.  All votes on H.R. 5982 will be among those considered for CCAGW’s 2016 Congressional Ratings.

Sincerely, 

Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW