Rounds, Paul and Colleagues Reintroduce REINS Act to Rein In Federal Overreach and Spending
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and 16 of their Senate colleagues reintroduced the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act to help put power back in the people’s hands instead of the administrative state.
“The heavy-handed bureaucracy has had too much control over the lives of the American people for too long. In 2024, rulings coming out of federal agencies cost American taxpayers nearly $1.4 trillion in regulatory costs. This is unacceptable,” said Rounds. “The rules created by bureaucrats have a real impact on jobs, agriculture, the economy and more. The longstanding deference applied under the Chevron doctrine broadened the scope of administrative authority for decades. Now that it’s finally been repealed, we cannot let the administrative state expand yet again. Our legislation would bring another layer of oversight to these bureaucratic rules and relieve Americans from wasteful, ineffective and harmful regulatory policies.”
“The whims of an unaccountable administrative state should never rule our lives. 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,” said Paul. “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 interests.”
Under the REINS Act, once major rules from government agencies are drafted, they must then be affirmatively approved by both chambers of Congress and then signed by the President, satisfying the bicameral and presentment requirements of the Constitution. Currently, regulations ultimately take effect unless Congress specifically disapproves.
The bill defines a “major” rule as one that the Office of Management and Budget determines may result in an economic impact of $100 million or greater each year; “a major increase in costs or prices” for American consumers, government agencies, regions, or industries; or “significant adverse effects” on the economy.
According to Forbes, 2024 accounted for nearly half of all final rule costs recorded since 2005 with a total of nearly $1.4 trillion in total estimated regulations costs.
This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), James Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.).
Click HERE to read full bill text.
###