House Republicans ditched a massive overhaul of federal regulations from their party-line megabill, but champions of the effort in the Senate say it’s all part of a plan.
Still, they have some work to do to avoid running up against the procedural landmines that could doom their effort.
Initial versions of the House reconciliation package would have given Congress final approval over any “major rule that increases revenue” and expanded mechanisms for undoing existing rules. The deregulatory language, based on the “Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act,” would have upended federal agencies’ independent rulemaking powers.
Such an overhaul alarmed environmental advocates, who forcefully pushed against it. The League of Conservation Voters said the provision would “cripple federal agencies’ ability to implement major climate and environmental rules.”
