WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) Thursday voted for critical regulatory reforms as part of House Republicans’ ongoing efforts to rein in the federal bureaucracy and change the way Washington operates. Walorski also voted to overturn an Obama administration regulation – the 14th regulation the House has voted to overturn this year.
“Burdensome regulations are crushing our small businesses, farmers, and other job creators, and the American people want an end to the status quo in Washington,” Congresswoman Walorski said. “That’s exactly what we’re doing by overturning burdensome regulations and passing reforms that will chip away at outdated and costly regulations and boost transparency and accountability in the rulemaking process.”
BACKGROUND
The House this week passed three regulatory reform bills, the latest in a series of bills and resolutions aimed at providing businesses and families relief from regulatory overreach.
- Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act (H.R. 998)
The SCRUB Act establishes a bipartisan, independent commission to streamline federal regulations and cut costs. The Retrospective Regulatory Review Commission would be tasked with identifying outdated, ineffective, and overly burdensome regulations that should be repealed. On Wednesday, H.R. 998 passed the House by a vote of 240 to 185.
- OIRA Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act (H.R. 1009)
This legislation requires the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to review agencies’ regulations and establishes transparency requirements. On Wednesday, H.R. 1009 passed the House by a vote of 241 to 184.
- Regulatory Integrity Act (H.R. 1004)
This bill ensures greater transparency in agency communications during the rulemaking process and prohibits agencies from soliciting favorable comments for or against proposed regulations. On Thursday, H.R. 1004 passed the House by a vote of 246 to 176.
The House also voted to overturn a burdensome Obama-era regulation using a resolution of disapproval under theCongressional Review Act – the 14th such resolution passed this year. H.J. Res. 83 would overturn a rule in which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) contradicted congressional intent by unilaterally increasing the time it can target employers for record-keeping violations. On Wednesday, H.J. Res. 83 passed the House by a vote of 231 to 191.
This week’s actions follow the passage of several regulatory reform bills, including H.R. 26, the Regulations in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. The REINS Act, which passed the House in January, would allow for an up-or-down vote in Congress on major regulations costing more than $100 million in economic impact.
Walorski represents the 2nd Congressional District of Indiana, serving as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
