WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is pushing for legislation that would give Congress more power in the federal government, paving the way for lawmakers to have increased oversight over agency rulemaking.
Lee, along with 17 other Republicans in the Senate, reintroduced the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act, or REINS Act, this week that seeks to change how regulations are passed and implemented in the federal government. The bill would require regulations with an economic impact of $100 million or more to be approved by Congress, giving lawmakers more control over how agencies operate.
“Without the REINS Act, Americans will continue to live under the tyranny of unelected bureaucrats who effectively make laws but never have to stand for election,” Lee said in a statement. “Congress has an opportunity to restore its constitutional lawmaking role while saving countless American workers, consumers, businesses, and families from the costs imposed by endless federal regulations.”
Lee has heavily pushed for the REINS Act for years, arguing it is crucial to rein in the federal government and reestablish separation of powers.
Now, the Utah senator is suggesting it could even help the Trump administration — and the Department of Government Efficiency, in particular — with its proposed reforms to cut government spending and overreach.
“We’ve destroyed federalism and separation of powers. I think for DOGE to succeed, we have to restore both of those,” Lee told DOGE leader Elon Musk in a Spaces conversation on X earlier this week. “In my view, the best way to start is by passing the REINS Act which would require Congress to enact those laws.”
Under current law, Congress has the authority to pass resolutions that nullify certain agency regulations if those rules are considered to be harmful. However, the REINS Act would seek to ensure that every proposed regulation must first be passed by Congress before it takes effect, giving lawmakers the ability to halt certain regulations if they disapprove.
Some version of the REINS Act has been introduced in every Congress since 2009. The House has managed to pass several iterations of the bill but the proposal has never managed to pass the Senate, where it would need 60 votes to be approved.
And to get enough votes to support it, Lee is suggesting to attach the bill with a measure to raise the debt ceiling — a bargaining chip Republicans have used for years to get Democrats on board with their proposals.
However, it remains unclear if that will be enough to sway opponents of the REINS Act, who argue that implementing extra approval processes would hinder government efficiency and delay necessary regulations. Others argue it would undermine agency experts who have more detailed knowledge on certain topics than most lawmakers.