House approves bipartisan bill to rollback midnight regulations

The House approved a bipartisan bill on Wednesday that would allow Congress to overturn multiple regulations finalized in the last days of the Obama administration, legislation reintroduced by U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA).

The Midnight Rules Relief Act, H.R. 21, swiftly passed the House in a vote of 238-184 on the second day of the new Congress. It would amend the Congressional Review Act to enable Congress to undo multiple regulations finalized in the last 60 legislative days of a presidency with a single vote.

“This is about accountability, transparency and ensuring job creators aren’t being crushed by droves of new regulations just before a president leaves office,” Issa said. “Regulations, when necessary, should be implemented with time for a thorough public vetting and input from those impacted.”

U.S. Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Marino, the chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, were original co-sponsors of the bill.

The legislation is designed to halt a growing trend by outgoing presidents of both parties to rush in costly, expensive or controversial new regulations during their final months in office. Last-minute regulations have the potential to cripple the economy, hurt small businesses and raise costs for middle-class families, Issa said.

According to Marino, the bill is an important and necessary piece of legislation that protects Americans from excessive, burdensome overreach by the executive.

“The quick passage of the Midnight Rules Relief Act exemplifies our dedication to provide the American people with real, actionable solutions,” Marino said.

“Burdensome regulation is one of the greatest hindrances to growing jobs and the economy. Specifically, regulations rushed in at the last minute without proper oversight can cause significant damage to business. As I have said before, Washington cannot continue to fund reckless regulation on the backs of hardworking Americans,” Marino added.

It has been estimated that as many as $113 billion in new regulatory costs can be attributed to the final months of the Obama Administration’s rulemaking activity, according to Goodlatte.

The nation’s regulatory costs are “out of control,” he said. “Overly broad and partisan regulations that are too often created in the final days of a presidential administration are not fair to hardworking Americans who will feel the impact of regulations long after a president leaves office.”