Hartzler REINS in Excessive Executive Regulation

WASHINGTON—Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) on Thursday voted for the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, to check the executive branch against legislating by executive fiat.

“Over the last eight years, Americans have been inundated with regulation after regulation and rule after rule from the administration,” Hartzler, an original co-sponsor of the bill, said. “They are tired of it.”

“Congress alone has the power to make laws,” Hartzler continued, “and this bill makes sure legislative authority remains in the hands of the people’s elected representatives, not unelected Washington bureaucrats.”

The REINS Act would require both chambers of Congress to approve of major rules – those with an economic impact of more than $100 million – issued by the executive branch and its sea of regulatory agencies, which effectively have the force of law.

“Over the past five years, 82 major rules have been issued each year, costing Americans billions in regulatory costs and stifling economic and job growth,” Hartzler added, pointing to the Environmental Protection Agency as one of the most egregious offenders.

In 2015, the EPA was responsible for 9 of the 43 total major rules, adding a regulatory burden of more than $11 billion. One of President Obama’s regulations in particular, the Clean Power Plan, accounts for $7.2 billion in annual costs, according to the EPA.

“Regulations are important. They keep us safe and provide a basis for beneficial conduct. But when taken to the extremes, as we have seen over the past eight years, they hamper prosperity and degrade the well-being of hardworking Americans,” Hartzler concluded.

These federal regulations imposed on America’s families and job creators add up to roughly $15,000 in economic costs per household per year. That is money that could be spent on a child’s education, paying off bills, or saving for the future.

The REINS Act would require an up-or-down vote by both the House and the Senate and the signature of the President before major rules can be enforced on the American public. This ensures new major rules serve their intended purpose and do not place unnecessary burdens on the job-creating businesses that our economy needs to grow.

The REINS Act passed in the House of Representatives on Thursday by a vote of 237-187. It now goes to the Senate for its consideration.

Hartzler represents Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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