Overnight Regulation: GOP sees new tool to ‘take control’ of agencies

Welcome to OVERNIGHT REGULATION, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Tuesday evening here in Washington and here’s the latest:

 

THE BIG STORY

Congress should “take control” of the federal regulatory system before it grows out of control, says Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chairman is calling for a “subtractive process” to keep the cost of regulations in check.

“We have over the decades added layer upon layer upon layer of laws and rules and regulations, which are becoming quite burdensome,” Johnson said a joint committee hearing on the cost of regulations. http://1.usa.gov/1NfzF8k

{mosads}”While some of these regulations are necessary to implement the law, some are also beyond the scope of congressional intent and unnecessarily burden businesses and families,” he added.

During the hearing, lawmakers discussed the possibility of a regulatory budget that would limit federal agencies’ rulemaking abilities.

A regulatory budget would hold federal agencies accountable for the rules they issue by tracking the financial burdens the rules would place on the economy.

With a regulatory budget, the estimated costs of each rule would be added up and capped at a certain amount, curbing regulations from federal agencies.

But Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) dismissed the notion.

“I have some concerns with the idea that an agency’s ability to implement a new rule could depend on it repealing an older one first in order to meet its ‘regulatory budget,’ when in fact the older regulation may still be necessary,” Carper said.

“Or maybe even worse, an agency may delay implementing a much needed rule because an offset can’t be found,” he added.

Carper touted the benefits created by regulations.

“Every time we go to the bank, drive a car, or take a breath of clean air or a drink of clean water, we are enjoying the benefits of regulations,” Carper said.

 

ON TAP FOR WEDNESDAY

The House Education and Workforce Committee’s Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee will hold a hearing to discuss child nutrition assistance programs and look at the cost of compliance for states and schools. http://1.usa.gov/1BskHdC

The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing to discuss rising health insurance premiums under ObamaCare. http://1.usa.gov/1Nh7R3I

The House Science, Space and Technology’s Environment Subcommittee and Energy Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the U.S. Energy Information Administration Report: Analysis of the Impacts of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. http://1.usa.gov/1GFKazt

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 159 new regulations, proposed rules, notices, and other administrative actions in Wednesday’s edition of the Federal Register.

Here’s what to watch for:

–The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will propose to loosen privacy rules for car dealers.

Car dealers are required to provide customers with an annual disclosure of their privacy policies, either by hand delivery, mail, or email. But the FTC is proposing to allow these companies to post the notices on their websites, instead of delivering them individually, to customers who give their consent.

These privacy policies are intended to safeguard customers’ financial information.

The public has until Aug. 31 to comment. http://bit.ly/1Hca6Gs

–The General Services Administration (GSA) will issue new acquisitions regulations for packaged items containing hazardous materials.

The new acquisitions rules will affect hazardous materials identification and material safety data, the agency noted.

The changes go into effect immediately. http://bit.ly/1J2TcaG

–The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will consider new requirements for animal research facilities.

APHIS is considering a petition to require companies to disclose information about the use of animals in their annual report to the agency.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1TM04PJ

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Dark money: Democrats in both chambers of Congress are calling on President Obama to finalize an executive order that would force federal contractors to disclose their political spending. http://bit.ly/1GxJetY

Transgender service members: Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) is drafting legislation that would scrap the Defense Department’s ban on transgender people in the armed forces. http://bit.ly/1e2aY2Y

Confederate flags: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) is ordering the removal of the Confederate flag symbol from license plates in his state. http://bit.ly/1SHPRSY

Water recall: Niagara Bottling has voluntarily recalled 14 brands of bottled water for potential E. coli contamination. http://bit.ly/1GxwRhA

Transgender candidate: Kristin Beck, a transgender former Navy Seal is running for Congress, The Washington Post reports. http://wapo.st/1LxktlW

Anti-gay ballot initiative: A California judge ruled late Monday that a proposed ballot initiative, which advocated killing anyone who engages in gay sex, is patently unconstitutional, AP reports. http://bit.ly/1RujSTP

Hostages: The Obama administration is considering changing its ransom-for-hostages rule, NPR reports. http://n.pr/1GxJE3k

For-profit colleges: The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled Tuesday that the Education Department has the right to demand that for-profit schools show that their graduates make enough money to repay their student loans, AP reports. http://bit.ly/1HdkjAA

 

BY THE NUMBERS

5,400 percent: The spike in Confederate flag sales after Amazon said it would stop selling the controversial symbol.

2: How many openly gay people have been inducted into the Department of Labor’s Hall of Honor. The late Frank Kanemy, one of the founding fathers of the gay rights movement, became the second on Tuesday.

1973: When the American Psychiatric Association overturned its diagnosis of homosexuality as a mental illness.

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I like to say that many of the laws Congress enacts can be likened to a skeleton. When regulations are adopted, they provide the meat on the bones,” — Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.).

 

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-staging.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-staging.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and@wheelerlydia.

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