In terms of numbers, or cost of compliance, or what? Anything would be good, really, but I think the best way to do it is to:
1) Issue an EO repealing all regulations and EOs since the election. Then,
2) Order all regulatory agencies that they can keep 1 regulation for every 3 they discard (and no new ones).
By the end of the year, that second order should say, any agency that hasn't met the target will be forced to meet it by having the first 3 of every 4 remaining regulations repealed. If you want a more orderly process than that, better get on it.
UPDATE: Following that, issue an order that the remaining 1 in 4 regulations go before Congress for an up-or-down vote, after which they too will be repealed. The ones Congress likes will become laws, and so won't need to be regulations. The ones they don't, well, we'll just have to do without them.
In a few easy steps, you'd recapture the legislative authority for the Legislative branch, and make the environment for new business in America better than it's been in a century.
In a few easy steps, you'd recapture the legislative authority for the Legislative branch, and make the environment for new business in America better than it's been in a century.
ReplyDeleteThat's assuming Trump actually wants to do what he says.
And--let's face it--your technique is a fine one, akin do "decimation." But I'll take any technique Trump wants to use.
Back to the first concern: does he really mean it??
That's assuming Trump actually wants to do what he says.
ReplyDeleteWell, and Trump hasn't even said that restoring the Constitution's balance of powers is a priority for him anyway. It's really just what I want to do, not what I think he wants to do.
Still, it's not out of the way.
I don't think much of across the board cuts in anything. They generally don't result in intelligent decisions.
ReplyDeleteHe can't repeal by EO finalized regulations; that takes legislation by Congress, signed by the President. He can easily rescind all EOs with an EO.
ReplyDeleteHe also can't order the Cabinets or Agencies to repeal their regulations, that too takes legislation. I think Congress can, by resolution, rescind all finalized regulations if done within 60 days of finalization (although that may require the President's signature, too), and Congress already is working on a resolution to do this with the EPA's latest regulations.
It also would be cleaner to have Congress repeal (with the President's signature) the regulations along your proposed ratio, or some such.
What I'd rather see, though, is Congress pass legislation that sunsets all regulations, current and future: they automatically expire in, say, five years, unless explicitly reauthorized by new legislation (for perhaps an additional three year period). Here, the Senate's filibuster would become a powerful tool for preventing the willy-nilly reauthorization.
Congress also needs to take steps to point out the utter stupidity of the Chevron deference foolishness of the Supreme Court and remind the Court of its place in the Federal hierarchy--which is not subordinate to the Executive Branch regulation writers.
Eric Hines
I don't think much of across the board cuts in anything. They generally don't result in intelligent decisions.
ReplyDeleteIf I thought an intelligent process was likely, I might agree. My guess is that the choice is less between 'intelligent cuts versus across the board cuts' and 'reckless cuts versus no cuts at all.'
And your plan gives a chance at making selection of what's cut- good enough for me. From your keyboard to God's ear...
ReplyDeleteGod isn't in command of the United States any more. Islam's Allah may be soon though.
ReplyDelete