Why the REINS Act is the Most Popular Bill in Congress
- BY FGA
With nearly 200 cosponsors between the House and the Senate, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act is the hottest ticket in town.
From the Waters of the United States to NOAA ship restrictions to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issuing thousands of pages of rules, each of these representatives have stories from their district of how unelected bureaucrats have a major impact on the American people—but no accountability to them.
The REINS Act would require any major rule with an impact of $100 million or more annually to come before Congress for approval before going into effect, putting Congress back in the driver’s seat when it comes to expensive rules and regulations that impact families and small businesses.
Here’s what members of Congress have to say about this legislation:
“For too long, an ever-growing federal bureaucracy has piled regulations and red tape on the backs of the American people without any approval by Americans’ elected representatives. The REINS Act would help fix that.”
“When you think about all the challenges that we’re facing as a nation, from our national security concerns to hyperinflation, the thing that no one talks about is the regulatory environment. And it truly is the silent killer of not just the American Dream, but I mean, it is contributing significantly to this hyperinflation.”
Republican Whip Tom Emmer (MN-06)
“We cannot trust a bloated federal government to hold itself accountable. It’s time for Congress to halt the overreach of these federal agencies and hold unelected bureaucrats accountable.”
“[The REINS Act] is a bill whose time has come…what we’ve seen over the last several years is more and more executive branch agencies in this administration who are literally legislating by fiat through the rule process…that has to be stopped and that’s what this bill is all about.”
“This important bill restores that fundamental constitutional balance and restores legislative prerogatives to this body, the elected representatives of the American people, and I’m proud to support this effort.
“The American people deserve a government that they can trust…it is hardworking Oklahomans that are bearing the brunt of these regulations. We need to safeguard property rights, businesses, and the way of life.”
“This is not a new problem. Over the years and several administrations, we have seen the executive branch take more and more power for itself, empowering bureaucrats while taking that power away from the American people.”
Rep. Gregory Murphy, M.D. (NC-03)
“The true ‘swamp’ is the unelected individuals—the unelected bureaucrats…that direct rules and regulations without having ever been elected that affect every American life. [The REINS Act] is starting to bring common sense back to this country.”
“At the end of the day, this is commonsense legislation. Last time I read Article I of the Constitution, I didn’t see anything in there about unelected bureaucrats getting to make rules in this country. That is the duty and the responsibility of Congress. And that duty and responsibility was given to us by the people. Let’s put the power back in the people’s hands.”
“The REINS Act ensures Congress, the elected officials, are the ones that are going to be making [policy] decisions, not the bureaucrats in basements in Washington.”
“I spent the last 30-plus years of my life in probably one of the most regulated industries there is in this country, the trucking industry…Small businesses are the backbone of this country, and the regulations that have been imposed across this country on small businesses are what are putting them out of business. It’s to the point where they either have to close shop or sell out to somebody bigger that can afford to hire enough people just to comply with the crazy regulations that have been imposed on them…that’s also the kind of thing that runs businesses [overseas.]”
“I had the privilege of serving in a presidential transition and saw the fact that only 5,000 faces changed from one administration to the next—just what the size and scope of the federal bureaucracy has really become. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are accountable to our constituents and the taxpayers in this country. They’re overburdened, they’re overregulated, and that has to stop…the executive branch has gotten too big, too strong, and the bureaucracy is driving the train.”
“In the west half of the valley I represent, 250,000 acres of land were left out because of no water. It was directed to other uses due to biological opinions of bureaucrats who don’t really seem to care about what the people need in this country…Waters of the United States is yet another overreach [that is] alive and kicking once again and going to put people out of business and make food less affordable and less available for so many people—all because [bureaucrats] want to regulate every single mud puddle, the water coming off your roof into a rain barrel…they believe it all belongs to them. That’s not the case. These are property rights that are in peril and the people’s needs that are in peril…we have to rein these [bureaucrats] back.”
