Overnight Regulation: Trump repeals ‘blacklisting’ rule

Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from the federal agencies, courts, Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Monday evening here in Washington, where Republicans and President Trump turned their attention to another round of regulatory repeals.

Here’s the latest.

 

THE BIG STORY

President Trump repealed the so-called “blacklisting rule” Monday that required federal contractors to disclose labor violations.

The Obama-era rule was intended to prevent the government from contracting with businesses responsible for wage theft or workplace safety violations at any point within the last three years. But business groups feared it gave unions the upper hand at the bargaining table.

Trump struck down the blacklisting rule, along with three other regulations aimed at protecting the environment and students, Monday afternoon during a White House signing ceremony. 

The other regulations Trump overturned include the Interior Department’s land use rule, as well as Education Department’s rules for teacher preparation and school accountability.

The regulatory repeals provide a much-needed distraction for the White House, as Republicans look to quickly turn the page on their failed attempt to eliminate ObamaCare.

“Only one [other] time in our history did a president sign a bill to cancel federal regulations,” Trump told a roomful of Republican lawmakers as he touted their accomplishment.

Republicans lawmakers voted to strike down these regulations through the Congressional Review Act, which allows certain regulations to be undone with only a simple majority in the Senate.

Before Trump, the seldom-used law had only been used successfully once in 2001 when then-President George W. Bush repealed a Clinton-era labor regulation.

Since January, Trump has repealed seven regulations under the Congressional Review Act, with more expected in the coming weeks.

 

Click here to finish reading the story.

Click here for more on how Trump is using the special law to do away with Obama-era regulations.

For more on the education regulations struck down Monday, click here.

 

ON TAP FOR TUESDAY 

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to discuss how to protect young athletes from sexual abuse.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection will hold a hearing on self-driving cars. 

The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on FDA’s medical device user fee program. 

The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit will hold a hearing on the state of bank lending in America. 

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

Keep an eye on these rules in Tuesday’s edition of the Federal Register:

–The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will issue new rules for allocating money from the Connect America Fund “to help ensure rural consumers will be adequately served by mobile carriers.”

Under the rules, the FCC will provide funding to “assist in the deployment of 4G LTE to areas that are so costly that the private sector has not yet deployed there and to preserve such service where it might not otherwise exist,” the agency says.

The rules will go into effect in 30 days.

–The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is again delaying new civil penalties to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

The NHTSA originally delayed an Obama-era increase for inflation in the civil penalties in January, and is now delaying the rules for a second time. The new civil penalties are now slated to go into effect on June 26.

–The Library of Congress will set royalty rates for phonorecords, which include CDs or vinyl records.

The Library’s Copyright Royalty Board will issue rates for “nondramatic musical works to make and distribute phonorecords of those works,” the agency says.

The rates go into effect immediately.

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW 

Trump strikes down teacher, school regulations

Trump repeals ‘blacklisting rule’

What to watch for in Trump’s climate change order

Speculation grows over Trump FCC pick

New EPA chief calls Paris climate accord a ‘bad deal’

Bank workers protest outside Santander 

DeVos urged to help students apply for financial aid while online tool is down 

House to vote Tuesday on blocking Obama internet privacy rules 

Group promises billboard attacks against lawmakers voting to repeal internet privacy rules

Sessions says grants to be withheld from sanctuary cities

Dems delay Senate panel vote on Supreme Court nominee

Dem senator ‘not inclined to filibuster’ Gorsuch 

Here’s how Trump is using a special law to do away with Obama regulations 

Trump shifts blame for health-care collapse to far right – The Washington Post 

Dianne Feinstein says Democrats are in a terrible position to support Neil Gorsuch – The Huffington Post

Addiction specialists ponder a potential aid: Pot – The New York Times

 

BY THE NUMBERS

6: Proposed rules

14: Final rules

(Source: Tuesday’s Federal Register)

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“I am not inclined to filibuster, even though I’m not inclined to vote for him,” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Monday about Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Leahy’s comments signal that he could buck Democratic leadership and help President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee clear a 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Read more here.

 

“This is a child’s desk. It’s the smallest desk I’ve ever seen,” President Trump joked as he sat down to sign two bills repealing education regulations. Read more here.

 

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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