Paul Offers Bill to Curb Costly Agency Regulations
Bill requires congressional approval of ‘major’ federal agency rules
Blake Ledbetter
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2025 – A new Senate bill would hinder the ability of federal agencies to enact financially burdensome regulations.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act on Thursday to restrict the authority of federal agencies to create large-scale change without congressional oversight.
The bill would require congressional and presidential approval for any “major” rule created by state administration, which the bill considers to be anything that the Office of Management and Budget expects will exceed an economic impact of $100 million per year.
“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,” Paul said in a Feb. 6 statement.
The REINS Act is different from the Congressional Review Act because it would require all ‘major’ rules to obtain congressional approval. Under the CRA, rules go into effect unless blocked by Congress. The Paul bill would give Congress significantly more power over federal administrations.
The 39-page bill would not apply to a rule “identified as a deregulatory action.”
Paul believes that the bill would help limit power from federal agencies that enact big changes without having elected officials.
“By making Congress more accountable for the most costly and intrusive federal rules, our REINS Act would give Kentuckians and all Americans a greater voice in determining whether these major rules are truly in America’s best interest,” Paul said.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-FL., who cosponsored the bill, said this bill would help reverse the Biden administration expansion of the federal government that cost taxpayers $1.9 trillion.
“I am proud to stand with President Trump and my colleagues to rein in big government, hold Washington accountable, stop the wasteful spending and finally bring some fiscal sense back into Congress,” Scott said in a Feb. 6 statement.
The House passed a version of the REINS Act, sponsored by Rep. Kat Cammack, R-FL., in June 2023.
