Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack hosted a press conference to mark the introduction of H.R. 277, the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act of 2023 (REINS). The bill, which would reassert Congress' legislative authority and prevent excessive overreach by the executive branch in the federal rulemaking process, currently has 179 Republican cosponsors, making it one of the most popular bills so far this Congress.
The bill would require every new "major rule" proposed by federal agencies to be approved by both the House and Senate before going into effect. It would also preserve Congress' authority to disapprove of a "non-major rule" through a joint resolution.
The press conference went live this afternoon at 2pm. You can watch the Members' remarks by clicking the image above.
"With 179 cosponsors, this bill has become front-and-center for the Republican agenda in reining [in] this overreaching, overburdensome government that has spiraled out of control," said Rep. Cammack. "I like to say that the regulatory regime is quite literally the biggest, but the quietest, American dream-killer. It has an impact on every aspect of our lives—from the services that we use, to the products that we consume, and the way we operate our businesses. The regulatory regime is out-of-control in dictating every element of our livelihoods, our business, and beyond."
"Under President Biden, a concerning trend has escalated to a catastrophic crisis," said Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer. "Our economy continues to be weighted down with ever larger regulator burdens while Americans grapple with 40-year high inflation due to the Biden administration's failed policies. Regulations during the first two years of this administration have cost our economy almost $309 billion dollars. We cannot trust a bloated federal government to hold itself accountable. It's time for Congress to halt the overreach of these federal agencies and hold unelected bureaucrats accountable. We are proud to support the REINS Act, and the Republican majority will continue to fight to end the Biden administration's unchecked power grab."
House Majority Whip, Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota's 6th Congressional District
"Currently there are 1.3 million regulations on the books, costing our economy over 2 trillion dollars a year," Cammack continued. "It's pretty simple—you start pulling regulations off the books that don't make people safer, products safer, and that are really there just to find a home and to drive revenue for that agency. By doing this, we can start to see some relief for the American people. The REINS [Act] does just this. It takes steps to address regulatory actions by requiring every new major rule proposed by federal agencies to be approved by Congress before going into effect."
Rep. Cammack first introduced this bill in March 2021 during the 117th Congress. |