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Source: Congress.gov
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Good afternoon. The committee will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time. Today, the Rules Committee is convening to consider H.R. 77, the Midnight Rules Relief Act. The Midnight Rules Relief Act was considered by the Rules Committee and passed the House before the 118th Congress ended. We're back to finish the job and to set this bill on glide path directly to President Trump's desk. Previous administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have churned out hundreds of new rules, what we refer to as midnight rules, as the clock winds down on their respective tenures. As a direct result, Congress becomes mired in regulatory malaise. It's an all too familiar occurrence that should be remedied. Now Congress already possesses the power to hold regulatory overreach in check via current law, which is a Congressional Review Act. That said, a Congressional Review Act is limited in scope in that it applies to a single rule. For subsequent rules that are issued, each one requires its own separate resolution. As one can imagine, previous administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have seized upon this and inundated Congress with regulatory blitzes, often to the detriment of the very people we are here to serve, our constituents. The Midnight Rules Relief Act provides a reasonable common-sense remedy to this problem that has existed for decades. H.R. 77 provides the legislative branch with a leg up with respect to executive rulemaking, regardless of the administration. by allowing Congress to consider multiple rules in one fell swoop. The result of this is twofold. Congress can keep pace with the issuance of midnight rules, and it can also provide a necessary diligent check against the federal bureaucracy.
Spurring congressional efficiency and reining in the federal bureaucracy at the same time are causes worthy of bipartisan support. I certainly believe that to be true. Speaking of bipartisan support, I'll note this legislation did receive bipartisan support in December. I do hope that more of our Democrat colleagues will take the opportunity the second time around to join us in passing it. I look forward to the discussion on this legislation, and I yield to Ranking Member Mr. McGovern for any comments he wishes to make. Well, thank you, Madam Chair.
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Unknown
And as you mentioned, today we will consider H.R. 77. the Midnight Rules Relief Act. We met on this bill back in December. Now the stakes are even higher. So let's be very clear. This bill is nothing more than a blatant power grab by House Republicans designed to make it as easy as possible to gut protections for everyday people. And who benefits? You guessed it. Billionaires and special interests. Because the thing is, billionaires want no workplace protections. They want no rules against dumping toxic chemicals into our food, water, or air. They want no restrictions on corporate greed. And Republicans are all too happy to help them get their way by dismantling the very agencies that hold them accountable. The goal is to destroy our government and rebuild it to serve the president, his cronies, and the ultra-rich. The Midnight Rules Relief Act is just another tool to speed up that process. And it's right out of the Project 2025 playbook. Remember that? Project 2025 writer, now OMB director, Russell Vogt, wrote, and I quote, to leverage the CRA's power to the maximum extent Congress and the President should enact the Midnight Rules Relief Act, which would help to ensure that multiple regulatory actions could be packaged and voted on at the same time, end quote. Translation? If Republicans win in November, which they did, they want this bill in place so they can gut regulations immediately, handing even more power over to polluters, scammers, monopolies, and corporate profiteers. And who will pay the price? The American people.
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