Washington, DC – Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) today acted to empower Congress to more efficiently halt outgoing presidents last minute executive actions also called “midnight rules.” These actions deserve transparency and review prior to being issued. Olson voted for H.R. 5982, the Midnight Rules Relief Act, which amends the Congressional Review Act to allow disapproval of multiple midnight rules all at once by the incoming Congress. The bill passed the House by a vote of 240-179 and heads to the Senate for consideration.
“For nearly eight years the Obama White has imposed thousands of job-killing regulations on American families,” Rep. Olson said. “They are now working frantically to force a last-minute flurry of rules and mandates before they lose power. America is not well served by an outgoing administration pushing politically-drive rules on their way out of town. I’m pleased the House acted to address this practice. I urge the Senate to act quickly as well.”
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) law was passed in 1996 to allow Congress to disapprove new rules, including midnight rules. However it only allows disapproval of one rule at a time, making it harder for Congress to address a flood of last minute rules. This bill provides incentive for presidents to skip attempts to issue midnight rules in the first place.