WASHINGTON, DC— Rep. LaHood released the following statement on The Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016, which passed out of the House today on a 240-179 vote:
“The American people have spoken and the message was loud and clear—‘we want less government and less regulation.’ President Obama should respect that. The House is working to keep all Presidents in check moving forward to prevent top-down regulations pushed through at the stroke of midnight. These “midnight rules” defy the will of the voters and undercut public transparency. That’s why the House passed H.R. 5982, the Midnight Rules Relief Act, which allows Congress to use one of its tools – the Congressional Review Act —to disapprove of multiple regulations at once. Having a rapid-response method will help Congress combat regulations passed in lame duck sessions."
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) has been in place since 1996 to allow Congress to disapprove new rules, including midnight rules, within 60 days. Under current law, however, individual CRA resolutions can only disapprove one rule at a time. A wave of midnight rules thus can overwhelm Congress’ ability to respond with CRA resolutions. H.R. 5982 amends the Congressional Review Act so multiple problematic midnight rules can be disapproved if necessary, and ensures there is enough time for consideration before an Administration leaves office.
