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Congress returned to Washington this week and has already begun the process of dismantling much of the Obama administration's regulatory framework. On Thursday, the House passed the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. The bill would require Congressional approval of executive branch regulations that would have more than a $100 million estimated economic impact. Two amendments were passed and added to the bill, the first that an agency promulgating a new rule must identify and repeal an existing rule to offset costs. The second creates a process for Congress to identify and review all rules currently in effect that have been in place for more than ten years. A Senate version of the REINS Act has been introduced as well.
President-Elect Trump's pick to lead the EPA, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill this week, meeting with senators ahead of his confirmation hearings. However, no date has been set for those hearings. Senate Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Tom Carper of Delaware still has questions he'd like answered by the nominee before moving forward. Democrats have also said they will wait for completion of an FBI background check and other ethics paperwork before they will agree on dates for a confirmation hearing. Republicans, as you might guess, are accusing Democrats of stalling, noting that seven of President Obama's cabinet nominees were confirmed on the first day.
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