A controversial bill targeting regulations implemented during President Biden's final days in office moves forward with bipartisan support.
According to The Daily Caller, the House of Representatives passed the Midnight Rules Relief Act with a vote of 212-208, with Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar crossing party lines to support the Republican-led initiative.
The proposed legislation aims to make it easier to overturn multiple regulations issued during the final 60 days of Biden's presidency. Currently, the Congressional Review Act requires lawmakers to challenge each regulation separately, making the process time-consuming and inefficient.
Sponsored by Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, the bill would allow Congress to reverse multiple rules at once through a single resolution. This change comes in response to roughly 1,400 regulations introduced in the final months of the Biden administration.
The American Action Forum's analysis reveals that Biden's regulatory actions throughout his term have accumulated costs approaching $2 trillion. The Environmental Protection Agency accounts for more than half of these expenses, making this administration's regulatory burden the highest on record.
Republican lawmakers have initiated several Congressional Review Act resolutions since the start of the 119th Congress. Notable among these is a joint resolution by Republican North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven and Republican Texas Rep. August Pfluger targeting the EPA's methane emissions tax on oil and natural gas producers.
Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his support for the legislation, stating:
That's important for efficiency purposes. In the waning months of the Biden administration, there were 1400 unnecessary, harmful, last minute rules that were imposed. Those are things that hurt small business owners and hardworking Americans and families.
The bill previously cleared the House in December with a similar margin of 210-201, but then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not bring it to the Senate floor. This forced Biggs to reintroduce the legislation in the current Congress.
Rep. Biggs, who is currently serving his fifth House term and running for Arizona's 2026 gubernatorial race, emphasized the bill's importance. He shared his perspective through social media and official statements, highlighting the potential economic impact of these regulations.
The House Rules Committee defended the legislation against Democratic opposition, pointing to the unprecedented volume of last-minute executive rulemaking as justification for the bill's necessity. They argue that the sheer number of regulations implemented during the final months of Biden's presidency necessitates a more efficient review process.
The Midnight Rules Relief Act represents a significant attempt to modify how Congress handles presidential administration regulations. The bill passed the House with Republican backing and minimal Democratic support, receiving 212 votes in favor and 208 against on Tuesday afternoon.
This legislative initiative aims to address what Republicans view as regulatory overreach during President Biden's final months in office.
If enacted, it would provide Congress with enhanced tools to review and potentially overturn multiple regulations simultaneously, particularly focusing on rules implemented during the last 60 days of the administration.
