WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), along with Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and 23 other cosponsors, reintroduced the “Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny” (REINS) Act as one of the first bills filed in the 115th Congress (S. 21).
The REINS Act would rein in unelected federal bureaucrats by requiring that Congress affirmatively approve every new “major rule” proposed by the Executive Branch before it can be enforced on the American people. A “major rule” is defined as any federal rule or regulation that may result in 1.) an annual economic impact of $100 million or more, 2.) a major increase in costs or prices for American consumers, or 3.) significant adverse effects on the economy.
“Increasingly, regulatory agencies are wreaking havoc on freedom and our economy by imposing rules that carry the force of law but lack approval by the people’s representatives,” said Sen. Paul. “Just ask Kentuckians about what the EPA’s war on coal has cost our state. REINS is an important first step toward increasing accountability, oversight, and transparency in Washington, and it’s one of the best ways President-elect Trump and the new Republican Congress can show we’re responding to the American people’s demand for change.”
“This is a fix to Executive overreach as well as a troubling trend of Congress, as an institution, giving up its legislative prerogative and delegating much of its power to the Executive Branch, which, as of late, has resulted in costly and burdensome regulations,” said Sen. Young. “As the son of a small business owner, I know how regulatory overreach can stifle our local economies and cost American jobs. By making Congress ultimately responsible for the rules Americans must live by, the REINS Act will give Hoosiers, and all Americans, a louder voice in the regulatory process through their elected representatives.”
“The legislative branch is the people’s branch of government. Members of Congress rightly hear from the people who chose us to represent them about regulations that are too heavy-handed, that don’t work as intended, or that hurt job creation,” said Sen. Grassley. “Because of this, it’s appropriate for Congress to restore democratic accountability by reclaiming the legislative authority it was granted in the Constitution when it comes to regulations holding the force of law that have big costs for the economy, consumers, and taxpayers.”
“Over the last eight years, we have seen unelected bureaucrats morph the congressional intent of our nation’s laws to impose economically harmful regulations that ignored the concerns of communities most impacted by the rule,” said Sen. Ernst. “We must work to increase transparency and hold regulatory agencies accountable by allowing Congress to review sweeping rules and regulations that will impact folks across Iowa and the country. This legislation gives folks across the country a voice in the process and is a step in the right direction to rein in burdensome, out-of-control government regulations that interfere in Iowans’ everyday lives.”
You can read S. 21, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, HERE.
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