Overnight Regulation: Dems fight bill easing gun silencer regs | Yelp claims Google broke FTC settlement | DHS waives regs to improve border fencing

Welcome to Overnight Regulations, your daily rundown of news from the federal agencies, Capitol Hill and the courts. It’s Tuesday evening here in Washington.

Here’s the latest:

 

THE BIG STORY

Democrats are pushing hard against a Republican proposal to ease restrictions on purchasing gun silencers.

Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) added his measure, known as the Hearing Protection Act to the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act (SHARE), legislation aimed at broadening public access to federal lands for hunting and fishing.

Under Duncan’s measure, silencers, also known as suppressors, would be removed from the National Firearms Act. Purchasers would need to only undergo a less extensive, instant background check.

Here’s the fight on both sides:

Democrats say the measure will weaken gun safety laws and make active shooter situations more difficult to address.

David Chipman, senior policy advisor of Americans for Responsible Solutions, a pro-gun control group told members of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands at a hearing Tuesday that the bill would make silencers more readily available to criminals.

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“One of the reason we have not seen silencers out there in tons of crimes is the fact that we have a regulatory structure that makes it very difficult to get these,” he said.

Republicans, however, claim sportsmen need silencers to protect their hearing.

“Right now we are in a situation where it seems … that sportsmen have to choose between damaging their hearing and being able to hunt, shoot, target practice,” said Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

Stephen Halbrook, who has sued on behalf of the National Rifle Association, pushed back about claims that silencers will increase gun violence.

“If you want to make one now you can do it and a person who would not be dissuaded from committing a murder by capital punishment potentially is not going to worry about a National Firearms Act conviction for non-registration of a suppressor,” he said.

Read the full story here.

 

ON TAP FOR WEDNESDAY

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow to talk about transportation innovation and automated trucks and our nation’s highways.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing to discuss the nomination of Daniel Kaniewski to be the deputy administrator for National Preparedness at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittees on Workforce Protections and Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions will hold a joint hearing on legislation to rescind the National Labor Relations Board’s joint-employer standard.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on modernizing the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of over-the-counter drugs.

 

REG ROUNDUP

Tech: Yelp is accusing Google of violating a 2012 settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in which the internet search giant agreed to stop passing off third-party content as its own.

Luther Lowe, Yelp’s vice president of public policy, sent a letter to acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen on Monday saying that Google has been pulling images from Yelp to include in search results for certain local businesses.

Harper Neidig has the rest of the story here.

 

Finance: The director of the controversial Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is said to be mulling a bid for governor of Ohio, where he served as attorney general and state treasurer, and could announce his plans at any moment.

But as Sylvan Lane reports Cordray can’t officially launch a campaign while in office. Read the story here.

 

Environment: The department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it has waived environmental and historical preservation laws to speed improvement of fencing on the border between California and Mexico.

Under the waiver, construction of border barriers near Calexico, Calif., won’t be subject to federal regulations including the Endangered Species Act or the National Historic Preservation Act.

Rafael Bernal has the rest of that story here.

 

More finance: The head of the Consumer Bankers Association, a top banking group, is criticizing both parties for not installing a bipartisan commission to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Richard Hunt, the association’s president and CEO, said both parties are to blame for failing to spread the CFPB’s power among a commission, akin to several other regulatory agencies.

Sylvan Lane has the rest here.

 

IN THE NEWS

Energy Dept. funds infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity protects

Minn. regulators recommend against $6.5B pipeline project

Equifax lobbied for easier regulation before data breach – The Wall Street Journal

The three big questions Equifax hasn’t answered – The Washington Post

Edith Windsor, whose same-sex marriage fight led to landmark rulings, dies at 88 – The New York Times

Hawaii urges U.S. top court not to lift Trump refugee ban curbs – Reuters

EPA chief denies Icahn influence in biofuel regulation – Reuters

Meatpackers seek to speed processing plants – The Wall Street Journal

 

Send tips, story ideas and your favorite fall recipes to your Overnight host at wheeler@digital-stage.thehill.comand follow her on Twitter @wheelerlydia.

 

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