The House on Thursday renewed its effort to have more say over regulatory agencies by passing the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, or the REINS Act, a reaction to years of what Republicans have said is a massive regulatory overreach by the Obama administration.
President Obama “brought our regulatory burden to a bloated $1.88 trillion in 2015, meaning that on average, each U.S. household is bearing an annual economic weight of $15,000,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga. “This underscores the reality that unchecked regulations hit business and family finances without distinction.”
The bill would require a joint resolution and the president’s signature before any regulatory agency can finalize new “major” rules, which are defined as those having at least a $100 million affect on the nation’s economy. It passed 237-187 in a mostly party-line vote.
It’s the REINS Act’s fourth time passing the House, but it has never cleared the Senate. This time, however, Republicans are hoping to get it past the Senate and onto the desk of incoming President Trump, who is likely to support it.
President Obama objected to the bill each time the GOP brought it up, but conservatives are fans of the effort to make it harder for agencies to impose massive regulations.
“We’re pleased to see regulatory reform be the focus of the first week of the new Congress,” FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon said of the House’s action. “With the passage of the Midnight Rules Relief Act on Wednesday and the REINS Act today, the House is beginning the process of… reclaiming its legislative power.”
“We hope that Majority Leader [Mitch] McConnell will take swift action on these bills after the new administration takes office,” he added.
