WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are pushing to make it easier for President Donald Trump to undo his predecessor’s agenda by making it possible to repeal multiple rules under a single resolution.
The House is set to vote on the Midnight Rules Relief Act this week, which would expedite Republicans’ ability to reverse a slate of Biden administration policies and allow Trump to instate his own proposals. The bill passed the House late last year as Republicans hoped to get a headstart on Trump’s term, but it failed to pass the then-Democratically controlled Senate.
The bill specifically refers to “midnight regulations,” a term used to describe federal government regulations that are pushed through near the end of a president’s term. Republicans have often criticized that practice, arguing it allows the federal government to push through expensive rules that they argue harm the economy.
“The Midnight Rules Relief Act will allow Congress to clear the deck of America Last rules and regulations imposed by the Biden-Harris regime and will prevent our economy from taking a $1.34 trillion hit,” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who introduced the bill, said in a statement.
Congress is permitted to reverse rules or policies implemented by government agencies under the Congressional Review Act. Under that law, lawmakers can introduce a joint resolution within 60 days of its introduction, which is often used during lame-duck periods between administrations as parties prepare for the incoming president by targeting last-minute regulatory actions taken by the departing commander in chief.
However, Republicans want to amend the bill to allow lawmakers to consider multiple rules under one resolution — making it easier for Trump to undo policies passed by former President Joe Biden that he disagrees with.
Republicans previously sought to pass a similar resolution ahead of Trump’s first term that would allow him to undo a slew of policies passed under the Obama administration. Although it has passed out of the House several times, it has not been able to garner sufficient support in the Senate.
However, proponents of the current law argue it would be dangerous to allow lawmakers to repeal dozens — or even hundreds — of rules at one time.
“By allowing Congress to repeal an unlimited number of rules simultaneously, without increasing required debate time, the Midnight Rules Relief Act would exponentially increase the risk of harmful unintended consequences from CRA resolutions,” the Institute for Policy Integrity wrote in a fact sheet.
The House is scheduled to vote on the bill on Wednesday. If passed, it would then be sent to the Senate for consideration.