Subscribe Now

REGWRITER ALERT: House passes the Midnight Rules Relief Act

November 18, 2016

The House passes the Midnight Rule Relief Act seeking to amend the Congressional Review Act.
The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the Midnight Rules Relief Act, Bill H.R. 5982, to amend the Congressional Review Act. The proposed amendment would allow Congress to disapprove multiple regulations issued within the last 60 legislative days of the fiscal year of a president's term in office. If passed, the bill would allow one vote to block all rules considered "midnight regulations." The purpose appears to be to allow Congress to stop rulemaking between now and the January Presidential Inauguration. However, its impact would signify that all regulations proposed since May of this year could be blocked en masse.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and passed by a vote of 240-179, after defeating several amendments offered by Democrats. It now passes to the Senate for consideration. View the bill at: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr5982/BILLS-114hr5982rh.pdf.