The Congressional Review Act of 1996 is a “sleeper statute” (aka, a secret weapon) in that its practical application took 20 years to enter the realm of viable possibility. The CRA allows Congress to overturn executive regulations by a simple majority—and this is the moment it’s been waiting for.

Before this year, all but one executive agency regulation repeal effort under the CRA have failed. In order for a CRA action to be worth the trouble, one party needs control of both Congress and the White House—and a foundational respect for congressional authority.