Payne, Jr. Statement on Passage of REINS Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.26, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2017:

“This bill will delay and prevent implementation of federal regulations that protect our health, safety, and security. It’s also an unnecessary measure, as Congress already has the authority to limit agency rulemaking. What’s worse is that the legislation dangerously politicizes the work of federal agencies by allowing congressional Republicans to strike any regulation that does not adhere to their own partisan priorities. Republicans continue to demonstrate that they are more concerned about targeting smart, effective regulations than about their own legislative failures and unwillingness to address the priorities of the American people.”

BACKGROUND: THE REGULATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE IN NEED OF SCRUTINY (REINS) ACT OF 2017

The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2017 modifies the federal rule-making process by requiring Congress to approve executive agency regulatory proposals that are deemed to be “major rules”—that is, those with an economic impact greater than $100 million. Currently, Congress has authority under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to review and disapprove both major and non-major rules issued by federal agencies. The legislation further provides that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law.

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