Senate GOP to Obama: Stop issuing new rules

Senate Republicans are asking President Obama to stop issuing new rules in the final month of his administration.

Twenty-three GOP senators sent a letter — spearheaded by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) — to the president on Monday, arguing he should refrain from rolling out midnight regulations because Republicans won the White House.  

{mosads}”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,” the senators wrote. 

They added that Obama should “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.” 

A review of the administration’s rulemaking agenda released earlier this month by the American Action Forum, a right-leaning think tank, found Obama plans to unleash more than $44 billion in 11th-hour regulations before he leaves office next month. 

The GOP senators argued that under Obama federal agencies have produced “reams of new regulations that hurt our job creators and cripple our economy” including the Water of the United States rule. 

Republicans believe the rule, aimed at defining the federal government’s oversight of minor waterways under the Clean Water Act, was a regulatory overstep by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Instead, the senators added that in 2017 they will be focused on returning to “commonsense principles” and limiting government regulations. 

“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,” they wrote. 

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has expressed optimism that President-elect Donald Trump will unravel some of Obama’s rules, and House Republicans are drafting a list of 200 or more regulations he could do away with. 

GOP Sens. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Mike Lee (Utah), Ben Sasse (Neb.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), Shelly Moore Capito (W.Va.), Jerry Moran (Kansas), James Inhofe (Okla.), John Hoeven (N.D.), John Thune (S.D.), Roger Wicker (Miss.), Michael Enzi (Wyo.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Mike Rounds (S.D.), Ted Cruz (Texas), David Perdue (Ga.), Pat Roberts (Kansas), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (La.) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska) also signed the letter.