House Fires Down Obama's Midnight Rules

Last week, the U.S. House passed H.R. 21, the Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2017, a bill designed to provide greater congressional oversight of burdensome regulations issued during the final days of a president’s term. 

This bill gives Congress the power to stop the rush of midnight regulations by the Obama administration, which can reach into a third term without any accountability. I encourage the Senate to act on this important bill as soon as possible.

Background - The term “Midnight Rules” refers to the posting of regulations, often high-cost or politically-driven in the final days of a President’s administration. Currently, the Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress to only disapprove of new regulations one at a time. The Midnight Rules Relief Act would allow Congress to disapprove multiple midnight rulings in one resolution.