Blocking, Rolling Back Regulations A Top Priority As New Congress Convenes
Now that the 115th Congress is convening in Washington, DC, regulatory action that was largely absent in 2016 is expected to resume with a frenzy. USA Today reports that bills to “block or roll back federal regulations” will be “high on the agenda.” The House is expected to consider the Midnight Rules Act that “passed on largely party-line votes in the 114th, 113th and 112th congressional sessions, but died in the Senate.” Under the Midnight Rules Act, Congress could “invalidate rules in bulk that passed in the final year of a presidential term.” The AP describes Republicans as “emboldened” and “intent on unraveling eight years of President Barack Obama’s Democratic agenda and targeting massive legacy programs from Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson such as Social Security and Medicare.” The Los Angeles Times says the new Congress will open “with the most sweeping conservative agenda in decades,” providing Congress and President-elect Trump’s administration options to work on efforts like repealing Obamacare, cutting corporate tax rates and undoing “Obama-era environmental regulations.” However, there is likely to be continued debate over how best to repeal some of the burdensome Federal mandates. The Times adds that Congress and President-elect Trump’s administration are still working on “a clear plan yet for Trump’s first 100 days, or an endgame for the two years of the 115th Congress.”
What This Means For Small Businesses
Small business growth has been stifled under a cloud of burdensome regulatory mandates at the Federal level. News that the 115th Congress is energized and ready to repeal these burdensome regulations on Day One is welcome relief for small business owners.
Additional Reading
A New York Times analysis also looks at ways in which the new Congress may focus its regulatory efforts.
Note: this article is intended to keep small business owners up on the latest news. It does not necessarily represent the policy stances of NFIB.
