An administration official said that the goal is to end “deep state bullying” with politically-motivated "guidance."
“These executive orders give this administration the tools to defend Americans’ freedom and liberty against off-the-book regulations and prevent unfair penalties from being levied on American families and businesses by rogue agencies,” said acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.
“President Trump is returning control over the government to the American people,” he added.
The orders aim to bring transparency to federal agency regulations and end backdoor rulings from agencies made in “guidance” cited in blogs, letters, and brochures but not approved as official policy.
The effort was sparked in part by reports that the government was using “secret or unlawful interpretations of regulations” to change industry practices and grab millions of dollars in penalties, said an official.
In one case cited today by the White House, a farmer who dug a watering hole for his horses on his own land was slapped by Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency with a $20 million fine, eventually overturned by federal courts. The EPA charged that the pond violated the Clean Water Act and slapped a $37,500 fine for each day the pond remained in place.
“Deep state bureaucrats who utilized these documents to bring enforcement actions were essentially criminalizing anyone who cannot afford a sophisticated network of lawyers. It was the epitome of government overreach and bullying of American citizens. We applaud the administration’s efforts to end this practice and look forward to the next steps in slashing the regulatory red tape that binds our nation,” said Dan Savickas, FreedomWorks regulatory policy manager.
The orders are titled “Transparency and Fairness” and “Bringing Guidance out of the Darkness.”
As part of the effort, the administration will now put all regulations on a website so anybody can look them up and compare them to any that federal agencies present.
Also, the public will get a chance to comment on the rules and guidance.
Trump ran for president promising to slash Obama-era regulations. He pledged to cut two regulations for every new one he proposed but has far surpassed that ratio, saving billions, according to the administration.
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