Regulatory Reform - May 2017

1. Video of the Week: With the holidays upon us, this video explains how excessive food regulation may not make us healthier.

Last week, FreedomWorks Foundation's Regulatory Action Center submitted formal comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding the Trump administration's proposed reforms to vehicle fuel economy and emissions standards. These reforms to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards program would freeze standards at the 2020 model year level versus the progressive increases set out under the Obama administration. The proposed reform is entitled the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule and, as its name suggests, would yield significant improvements to the safety of passenger cars as well as improved economic and environmental outcomes. It would also eliminate a regulatory loophole that has allowed the State of California to impose its regulatory policy nationwide. However, while FreedomWorks Foundation believes this proposed rule is a significant step in the right direction, it is clear that EPA and NHTSA have the regulatory flexibility to go even further.

1) Video of the Week: In this video, American political scientist, Charles Murray, explains how deeply entrenched regulatory state tyranny is in our legal system, and how everyday Americans can fight back.

On Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed into law extreme legislation designed to protect so called “net neutrality.” The rules set forth by the legislation are not only a massive and unnecessary overreach based on faulty premises and wrought with unintended consequences but are also explicitly illegal under federal law. Thus, the federal Department of Justice filed suit against California mere hours later. In short, California has set forth on a fool’s errand guaranteed only to waste taxpayer resources on expensive litigation.

Next month, the World Health Organization (WHO) will convene the eighth meeting of parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Geneva, Switzerland. The United States is sending a delegation to this international meeting; however, our nation’s representatives will only be able to participate under observer status since the Senate never ratified the FCTC. This does not mean Congress and the Trump administration should ignore what WHO is up to in the realm of tobacco regulation, particularly given America’s status as the largest contributor to the international body.

Today, executives of big tech platforms such as Facebook and Twitter faced heated questioning from members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Democrats are upset with these companies over allegations the platforms are being abused to spread misinformation. Republicans are accusing these platforms of censoring certain speech. Unfortunately, while their complaints differ, both sides seem to be inching toward some sort of new regulatory scheme for this industry. This is to be expected from Democrats, but Republicans ought to know better. If they need some inspiration, they ought to look to what is happening at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), particularly what Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr announced just yesterday.