Key Vote YES on the REINS Act, H.R. 427

As one of our over 6.9 million FreedomWorks activists nationwide, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to vote YES on the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, H.R. 427. This bill would require a vote from Congress to approve any major regulation from an executive branch agency.

Every year, executive agencies issue thousands of new rules and regulations, often based upon little more than loose guidelines provided by Congress. Those rules that impose at least $100 million of annual compliance cost are considered “major rules.” In 2014 alone, federal agencies issued 200 major rules. The REINS Act would respect the checks and balances carefully established in the Constitution by requiring Congress to approve such rules. Agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) would no longer be allowed to pass economically devastating regulations without being put to a congressional vote.

As our Founding Fathers understood, it is dangerous for any branch of government to have unchecked power. In Federal 51, James Madison acknowledged that checks and balances are “necessary to control the abuses of government.” In article 1, section 7 of the Constitution, the process of creating a new law is outlined and clearly gives that power to the legislative branch. Today, unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch repeatedly disregard these limits by enacting new rules without the approval of Congress.

Congress has spent decades ceding its power to agencies which are largely unaccountable to the voting public. We cannot continue to allow the American people to be potentially harmed by regulations that have not been subjected to the proper constitutional lawmaking process—a vote by their elected representatives. The REINS Act would restore accountability and protect citizens’ rights by giving elected officials a voice in all major regulations issued.

Please contact your representative and ask that he or she vote YES on the REINS Act, H.R. 427. FreedomWorks will count the vote on this amendment as a Key Vote when calculating our Congressional Scorecard for 2015. The scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the FreedomFighter Award, which recognizes Members of Congress who consistently vote to support economic freedom and individual liberty.

Sincerely,
Adam Brandon
CEO
FreedomWorks