Rep. Cammack introduces REINS Act to rein in federal regulatory agencies

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack hosted a press conference to mark the introduction of H.R. 277, the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act of 2023 (REINS). The bill, which Cammack said would reassert Congress’ legislative authority and prevent excessive overreach by the executive branch in the federal rulemaking process, currently has 179 Republican cosponsors, making it one of the most popular bills so far this Congress.

The bill would require every new “major rule” proposed by federal agencies to be approved by both the House and Senate before going into effect. It would also preserve Congress’ authority to disapprove of a “non-major rule” through a joint resolution.

In her introduction, Cammack said, With 179 cosponsors, this bill has become front-and-center for the Republican agenda in reining [in] this overreaching, overburdensome government that has spiraled out of control.

“I like to say that the regulatory regime is quite literally the biggest, but the quietest, American dream-killer. It has an impact on every aspect of our lives—from the services that we use to the products that we consume and the way we operate our businesses. The regulatory regime is out-of-control in dictating every element of our livelihoods, our business, and beyond.”

Cammack said there are currently 1.3 million regulations on the books, costing our economy over $2 trillion a year. She continued, “It’s pretty simple—you start pulling regulations off the books that don’t make people safer, products safer, and that are really there just to find a home and to drive revenue for that agency. By doing this, we can start to see some relief for the American people. The REINS [Act] does just this. It takes steps to address regulatory actions by requiring every new major rule proposed by federal agencies to be approved by Congress before going into effect.”

Cammack said that the ATF’s new rule requiring owners of pistol braces to register their weapons is an example of the type of regulation that could be affected by the Act, although the Act will not affect rules that have already been enacted. The REINS Act has been introduced multiple times over the years, and Cammack first introduced it in 2021.

Rand Paul is expected to introduce a companion bill in the Senate.

  • Rand Paul had previously introduced a bill of the same name in the Senate…as did Kat in the House: back in 2021. Perhaps some information about those bills and the differences (if any) would be relevant to include here?

  • Dems fear public and economic freedom — except in their bedroom lives. Then oddly they welcome the consequences, so gumment can intervene later. More programs, funding secured.

  • A solution in search of a problem. How about introducing something to help medicare and social security?

    • We have lived through the problem! Anyone living in the US through the pandemic has witnessed the governments preferred authoritarian test run! Many were happy to give up their freedoms and kowtow to the degenerates. Such sad existence for those gulp up what elected “leaders” think and say!

    • The best way to help government welfare programs, and the people depending on them, is to phase them out. If Americans took the same money that the government pulls out of their paychecks for SS and Medicaid, and put it some conservative mutual funds, they would need much better off with 0s on the end. Those two ships need to sink.

  • The federal government has a huge appetite for growth. Kat, too, is familiar with this problem so perhaps she is well suited to addressing it.

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