Public Knowledge Joins Group Letter Urging Congress to Vote Against Midnight Rules Relief Act
Public Knowledge Joins Group Letter Urging Congress to Vote Against Midnight Rules Relief Act
Public Knowledge Joins Group Letter Urging Congress to Vote Against Midnight Rules Relief Act

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    Today, Public Knowledge joins 44 public interest groups in a letter to the United States House of Representatives arguing against the adoption of the Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2017. This bill would amend the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to allow disapproval of all regulations reported in the final year of a presidential term, jeopardizing public protections that may have taken years to complete the legislative or regulatory process. Public Knowledge disagrees with bill proponents who claim that “midnight” regulations are “rushed” and improperly reviewed.

    The following may be attributed to Chris Lewis, Vice President at Public Knowledge:

    “The so-called ‘Midnight Rules Relief Act’ neither deals with midnight rules, nor does it provide relief to the American public. Instead, this bill takes the expedited powers of the CRA and applies them to regulations that may have been voted over a year prior to Congressional action.

    “These are not midnight rules. Many of these sorts of regulations have undergone months if not years of research, notice, and comment at expert agencies. Congress delegates regulatory power to the agencies for a reason: to protect Americans in a careful and judicious way. Bundling multiple regulations from multiple agencies into a broad repeal is not careful governance. It is a blunt instrument used to fulfill an ideological opposition to regulatory action.

    “Public Knowledge encourages all Members of Congress to oppose this bill and to move on to the work of protecting the public interest.”

    You may view the letter here.

    Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.