Trump, Congress kill four rules with CRA
On Monday President Trump signed four joint resolutions of disapproval that Congress sent him under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The resolutions rolled back rules implemented by the Obama Administration in its waning days, including the Bureau of Land Management Planning 2.0 Rule, the Teacher Preparation Rule, the Education Accountability Rule, and the “blacklisting rule.”
As White House press secretary Sean Spicer noted in Monday’s press briefing, the Congressional Review Act had only been used once before this year. The president and Congress have now rolled back six costly and harmful regulations from the Obama Administration.
“The President will continue to work with Congress and the rest of the federal government until every unnecessary regulation that stands in the way of success for American business and American people is taken off the books,” Mr. Spicer said.
Applying the Congressional Review Act to the last 60 legislative days of the Obama Administration is certainly a win for fans of constitutional government and all Americans, but, as we have said here, the CRA can do much more.
You can watch Mr. Spicer’s briefing here, and read a transcript of the comments below.
And at three o’clock, the President will sign House Joint Resolutions 37, 44, 57, and 58 — all of which use the powers of the Congressional Review Act to roll back job-killing rules. Before this administration, only one time in the nation’s history had a President ever signed a bill that used the Congressional Review Act to cancel a federal regulation. In just his first 66 days as President, he will have signed six resolutions to eliminate unnecessary and burdensome rules.
House Joint Resolution 37 rolls back the so-called “blacklisting” rule, which manufacturers identified during their meeting with the President as one of the most significant threats to growing American businesses and hiring more American workers. The rule simply made it too easy for trial lawyers to go after American companies and American workers who contract with the federal government. The President saw that workers, taxpayers, and businesses were the ones who truly suffered under this rule, and he is glad to be signing legislation to eliminate it.
House Joint Resolution 45* [44], 57, and 58 cancel federal power grabs that took decision-making away from the states and local governments who know the unique challenges of their own populations. The President firmly believes that Washington is not always the solution to these problems, and that these bills return the power to the people by putting more decision-making in the hands of states.
House Joint Resolution 44 removes a Bureau of Land Management rule, known as “Planning 2.0,” that would have centralized federal and land management in Washington, diluting the concerns of local citizens who have a right that is protected by law to be involved in this decision-making process.
H.J. Res. 57 and 58 eliminate the Department of Education regulations which limits states’ flexibility in how they assess the performance of schools and teacher preparation and programs. Removing these additional layers of bureaucracy will make it easier for parents, teachers and communities, and state leaders to address the needs of their students.
The President will continue to work with Congress and the rest of the federal government until every unnecessary regulation that stands in the way of success for American business and American people is taken off the books.
