Regulatory Reform - May 2017

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing recently, led by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) to further investigate the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granting Ligado Networks’ application to use spectrum. This was not the first attempt by Inhofe to sow misinformation on this issue, nor was it the last. Inhofe released a letter, co-signed by a number of other Senate colleagues, repeating some of the falsehoods echoed during the hearing and that the defense industry has been pushing.

Welcome to FreedomWorks Foundation’s seventh regulatory review of 2020! Our Regulatory Action Center proudly updates you with the latest regulatory actions from the swamp. This week, we bring you a special coronavirus edition, highlighting some of the government regulations that have been repealed to fight the pandemic. Check back next week for the next edition.

Very many people reacted with confusion when teen climate activist, Greta Thunberg, was named to a CNN expert panel on coronavirus. Greta has never claimed to be an expert on epidemiology or virology. Neither, for that matter, is she an expert on any political topic as she is still a teenager. Her claim to fame is lecturing the world on the supposed inadequacy of its response to climate change. It’s subtle, but this is why it should come as a surprise to no one that the corporate press is once again dragging Greta to the limelight to talk about this pandemic.

1) Trump Administration to Continue Deregulating Small Businesses

The coronavirus pandemic, now going into its eighth week, has exposed so many flaws in our nation’s healthcare system. We have shortages of doctors and nurses because of restrictive licensing requirements. We have a shortage of equipment because of trade barriers stemming the flow of materials from abroad. We also have a shortage of money because of our government’s reckless spending on other nonsense over the years.

FreedomWorks Foundation's Regulatory Action Center submitted formal comments to the FCC urging them to stay the course on their Restoring Internet Freedom Order amidst remanded questions from the D.C. Circuit Court. The comment can be found excerpted below and in its entirety in the attached file:

The regulatory state is extensive. So many entrenched bureaucrats have a vested interest in making sure the red tape remains tightly wrapped around American families. They will do what they need to do to cling to power and hold on to their pensions that come at the expense of the American taxpayer. That is why anyone who dares try to shrink its size and influence will be viciously attacked by the political establishment.

FreedomWorks recently announced the launch of the American Freedom Initiative (AFI), a collaboration headed by former acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker. This project aims to help relieve injustices committed against Americans under the criminal justice system and the regulatory state. As part of this project, we will shine a spotlight on some of the individuals the AFI has identified under its Administrative Abuse Project who have been the victims of federal regulatory overreach.