Rounds, Thune Join Colleagues to Request President Obama Stop Issuing New Regulations
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) joined 21 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter, led by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), to President Obama requesting the administration stop issuing non-emergency rules and regulations in the final weeks of his term. Thune and Rounds stressed to the president that the American people made it clear on November 8 that they expect regulatory relief.
“Whether it is the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule unfairly burdening our farmers and ranchers, the anti-coal rules eliminating thousands of jobs and driving up household energy costs, or the Dodd-Frank rules denying our small businesses access to capital, federal agencies continue to produce reams of new regulations that hurt our job creators and cripple our economy,” the senators wrote. “But this flawed approach to governance has been rejected by the people.”
In addition to Rounds, Thune and Gardner, the letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Barrasso, M.D. (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).
Full text of the letter can be found below.
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We write to request your Administration cease issuing new, non-emergency rules and regulations given the recent election results of November 8. In a clear and direct repudiation of consistent regulatory overreach by federal agencies, the American people have, for the first time since 2007, handed control of both the executive and legislative branches of government to the same majority. It is our job now to determine the right balance between regulation and free market principles and make sure that our federal government no longer stands between Americans and financial success.
Whether it is the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule unfairly burdening our farmers and ranchers, the anti-coal rules eliminating thousands of jobs and driving up household energy costs, or the Dodd-Frank rules denying our small businesses access to capital, federal agencies continue to produce reams of new regulations that hurt our job creators and cripple our economy. But this flawed approach to governance has been rejected by the people.
Today, we have the opportunity to return to commonsense principles of regulation and curb unnecessary government interference in the private sector. In doing so, we will grow the economy, create jobs, and, above all, help the people who have been overlooked the past eight years. To this end, we respectfully request you honor the will of the American people and refrain from working on or issuing any new, non-emergency regulations while carrying out your remaining term in office.
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