The clock began running out this week on a strategy that has provided U.S. Republicans in Congress with their only notable legislative successes this year: aggressive use of an obscure U.S. law known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
On his 75th day in power, President Donald Trump has yet to offer any major legislation or win passage of a bill he favors, but House of Representatives Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has notched numerous small-scale victories with his strategy.
Vice President Mike Pence told business leaders at the White House on Tuesday that Trump would sign more CRA resolutions soon and roll back an “avalanche of red tape” from the administration of President Barack Obama, a Democrat.
Since Trump took office on Jan. 20, McCarthy has led Congress in churning out 13 resolutions under the CRA killing Obama-era regulations, most of concern to business interests.
Trump has signed 11 of these into law, not only rolling back the rules they targeted but also barring agencies from writing “substantially similar” regulations in the future.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday the number of resolutions signed over two months showed Trump is “vastly different” from past presidents in rolling back regulations.
On Monday Trump signed a CRA resolution repealing broadband privacy protections. He has also signed resolutions killing rules meant to expand background checks for mentally ill gun purchasers, change public school assessments, and reduce coal waste runoff into streams.
Last Friday was the deadline for introducing any new CRA resolutions on regulations enacted by Obama’s administration. Now Republicans must complete voting on resolutions already in the legislative pipeline by mid-May.
http://www.oann.com/window-closing-for-republican-stealth-assault-on-u-s-regulations/
