Rep. Duncan applauds passage of ‘groundbreaking’ REINS Act

Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives passed legislation to give Congress veto authority over high-cost regulations that the Administration has promulgated. The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act would require that Congress vote on any major rule or regulation coming from the executive branch that is estimated by OMB to impact the economy by $100 million or more. Currently, a veto-proof majority is required to prevent an administration from going forward with a rule.

“The House has just passed a groundbreaking piece of legislation that remains consistent with my view in the rebalancing of power in the federal government,” said Congressman Jeff Duncan, who is a cosponsor of the bill. “The outgoing Administration broke Constitutional restraints time and time again. By flaunting the immense power of executive rulemaking, the outgoing administration shamefully turned the pen and the phone into a political weapon against the American people. Without passing the REINS Act, the boundaries for administrative rule making are endless.”

In 2016, the Competitive Enterprise Institute released a report detailing the cost to America of federal regulations at $1.885 trillion – more than $15,000 per American household. At the time of the report, some 60 federal departments, agencies, and commissions had 3,297 at various stages in the regulatory pipeline. Under the REINS Act, Congress would have 70 legislative days to decide whether such regulations would move forward.

“This legislation is historic. Legislators are will now be forced to focus more on their craft, while the executive is restrained from the current practice. The people now have a say against these rules,” Duncan said. “It’s a win for all Americans. I call on the Senate to pass this major upgrade in American governance, where the people finally gain back a defense against the costly attacks on their ways of life by out of touch bureaucrats.”

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