Washington, D.C. – Representative Reid Ribble  (WI-08) today announced that his legislation, the Midnight Rule Relief Act, passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 245-172. Congressman Ribble’s bill, which was included in H.R. 4078, the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act, will prohibit lame duck administrations from issuing major rules that have an economic impact of $100 million or more annually with the exception for emergency health, safety, criminal, and national security purposes. Congressman Ribble has been a leader in bringing ‘real-world’ perspective on the impact of regulations on the economy and job creation.  The regulatory moratorium included in this package has been a concept he has been heavily engaged in since coming to Congress 18 months ago.

“This legislation will help small businesses that have been struggling for the past three years,” said Ribble. “Many Americans who want to start their own business and build something of their own are now pushing that dream aside because they feel the government is stacking the odds against them with costly regulations. With the president saying, ‘you didn’t build that,’ and regulatory agencies saying, ‘you can’t do that,’ it’s no wonder that our nation’s job creators are now saying, ‘we won’t do that’ when it comes to expanding and hiring new workers. It’s time to take the regulatory target off the backs of small business and let them focus on creating jobs for the American people.”

Watch Rep. Ribble talk about how his father started his own business from the ground up at a press conference on the Red Tape Reduction Package

Watch Rep. Ribble’s floor speech on how regulations are threatening the American Dream

Outside groups praise Congressman Ribble’s legislation to stop out-of-control regulations

Kurt R. Bauer, president/CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the state’s chamber of commerce and largest business trade group

“Private sector employers say that government overregulation, especially at the federal level, is one of the biggest drags on job creation and the broader economic recovery. Limiting the power of unelected bureaucrats to add to the already crushing regulatory burden, especially in the waning days of an administration, is a necessary and common sense reform.”

Susan Eckerly, Senior Vice President of NFIB

"NFIB is particularly supportive of the “midnight rule relief” provision, which would place a moratorium on major “midnight regulations” – rules issued in a “lame-duck session”, or the period of time between Election Day and a new administration’s inauguration day. This important provision would prevent regulations that have not been properly analyzed and open for public vetting. NFIB believes it is critical that the regulatory process not be bypassed in order to issue rules in the waning days of an administration’s term. Uncertainty is one of the top concerns of small business owners – last minute rules by an outgoing administration could present a regulatory nightmare."

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)

"For decades, outgoing administrations from both parties have engaged in the practice of issuing so-called “midnight” regulations—rules, guidance and other policies too controversial or problematic to be adopted earlier in the presidential term. This practice must be ended across the board to ensure that businesses are not slammed with a torrent of costly, burdensome regulations each time control of the Executive Branch changes."

R. Bruce Josten, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

“These improvements would streamline the federal permitting process, impose transparency on the abused sue and settle process used by agencies and environmental groups to circumvent the rulemaking process, and prohibit agencies from proposing or finalizing major midnight regulations.  The common sense reforms in these bills would make the nation’s regulatory process more transparent, efficient, and workable for businesses that create jobs and contribute to economic growth.”

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