Support the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, S. 21

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your senators and urge them to cosponsor the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, S. 21, introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

In recent weeks, the House and Senate have passed resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to cancel President Barack Obama’s midnight rules, avoiding nearly $3 billion in regulatory costs. A report from the American Action Forum estimated that Congress could save $40 billion in regulatory costs through the CRA.

While the CRA is an effective tool to roll back final rules published by federal agencies under the right circumstances, the REINS Act adds teeth to the 1996 law and provides a crucial check on executive power and the regulatory state.

Under the REINS Act, the House and Senate would have to vote on a proposed major rule and the president would have to sign it before enforcement of the rule can begin. The bill would give Congress 70 legislative days to pass a resolution to approve a major rule. If a resolution is not passed, the major rule cannot take effect.

The House has passed the REINS Act in every Congress since the 112th Congress. The Senate, however, has never considered the bill. The House has already taken action on the REINS Act, H.R. 26, in the 115th Congress, passing it by a vote of 237 to 187. FreedomWorks key voted “YES” on the passage of the bill.

The opportunity is now before the Senate to pass the REINS Act, send it to President Donald Trump, who has previously indicated that he would sign it into law, and send a message to bureaucrats in Washington. For these reasons, I urge you to contact your senators and urge them to cosponsor the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, S. 21.

Sincerely,

Adam Brandon, President and CEO, FreedomWorks