Rep. Dave Joyce’s Bipartisan LIBERTY Act Shines a Light on Regulators Evading Congressional Oversight
The Foundation for Government Accountability Praises Efforts To Ensure Significant Agency Guidance Receives Public Scrutiny and Congressional Review
Naples, FL—Today, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), introduced bipartisan legislation called the Limiting the Intrusive Bureaucracy and Empowering Regulatory Transparency for You (LIBERTY) Act. The LIBERTY Act would require significant agency guidance to go through the Administrative Procedure Act’s notice-and-comment process to ensure guidance receives normal public and congressional review.
“Agency bureaucrats always seek the path of least resistance. When it comes to making regulations with the force of law, they find creative ways to sidestep the normal rulemaking process and avoid public scrutiny by issuing guidance,” said Robin Walker, senior federal affairs director for the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA). “Regulators are going to great lengths to keep their rulemaking hidden. Rep. Joyce’s LIBERTY Act would shine a light on the process, bringing transparency to the agency guidance process and restoring congressional oversight authority.”
“In 2022, President Biden attempted to implement his costly student loan forgiveness plan through a guidance document, a deliberate choice to avoid congressional oversight and deny Americans the opportunity to weigh in on the proposal,” said Rep. Joyce. “At a time when Washington’s spending is out of control, this legislation will provide critical balance and oversight to the agency guidance process. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation to provide necessary checks and balances to prevent executive overreach and excessive spending.”
Since 2021, the Biden administration has pushed through more economically significant, job-killing regulations than any other modern president—and the price tag keeps growing. This regulatory environment is the “silent killer” of the American Dream.
For more FGA research on the efforts to rein in executive branch regulation and guidance, visit our REINS Act page.
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The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is a non-profit, multi-state think tank that promotes public policy solutions to create opportunities for every American to experience the American Dream. To learn more, visit TheFGA.org.
