There are two main areas in which Congress can enact meaningful reform. The first is to rein in regulatory guidance documents, which we refer to as “regulatory dark matter,” whereby agencies regulate through Federal Register notices, guidance documents, and other means outside standard rulemaking procedure. The second is to enact a series of reforms to increase agency transparency and accountability of all regulation and guidance. These include annual regulatory report cards for rulemaking agencies and regulatory cost estimates from the Office of Management and Budget for more than just a small subset of rules.
In 2019, President Trump signed two executive orders aimed at stopping the practice of agencies using guidance documents to effectively implement policy without going through the legally required notice and comment process.
Featured Posts
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Volatile gas and the Gulf of Mexico
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, and President Trump put on some pressure to lower them. Trump also fired Democratic FTC commissioners on unclear…
Law and Liberty
A Revolution Against Regulation
One of the great threats to freedom in the United States today is what we at the Competitive Enterprise Institute call “…
CPAC
CPAC 2025 and Beyond: A Roadmap to Lasting Regulatory Reform
CPAC has CEI’s expert speak on a panel about regulatory reform On Friday, February 21st, 2025, attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)…
Search Posts
Forbes
Fixing A Washington That’s Gone From Rule Of Law, To Rule By Whatever
Astrophysicists have concluded that ordinary visible matter—the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the Milky Way, the multitudes of galaxies beyond our own, and their trillions…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Regulatory agencies were plenty busy last week, with new rules in the last week ranging from Maine’s gas stations to hammerhead shark herd size.
Washington Examiner
Trump’s Former EPA Transition Chief Sees Job Cuts as a Priority
Washington Examiner discusses proposed job cuts at the EPA with Myron Ebell. The former head of Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency transition team is…
Forbes
Net Neutrality Day Of Action Platitudes To Ensnare Corporate Proponents
Amazon, Google, Facebook and others in the tech world…you’re really going to keep poking on net neutrality? Some of you seem a tad less…
American Public Media
AUDIO: Kent Lassman Discusses Neomi Rao’s Confirmation on APM’s Marketplace
CEI President and CEO Kent Lassman joins American Public Media’s Marketplace to discuss Neomi Rao’s confirmation to the position of Administrator of the White House…
The Regulatory Review
Constructively Improving Railroad Regulations
Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, mentions a piece by Fred Smith and Marc Scribner regarding regulations of the…
Forbes
Senator Elizabeth Warren Takes Swipe At Trump’s New Regulatory Overseer
Of the hundreds of federal agencies issuing thousands of rules each year, there is one small body, of a few dozen employees, within the…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
81 new rules from the last week still range from work surfaces to spirulina extract.
Small Business Advocate
AUDIO: Wayne Crews discusses regulation on The Small Business Advocate
Wayne Crews, author of CEI’s 10,000 Commandments, joined Jim Blasingame on The Small Business Advocate to discuss regulations in the Trump administration. Listen to…
Blog
2017 Competitive Enterprise Dinner Keynote: Elaine Chao
Remarks delivered by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao at CEI’s “Through the Looking Glass” Annual Dinner & Reception.
Forbes
How Many Federal Agencies Exist? We Can’t Drain The Swamp Until We Know
As the federal bureaucracy has expanded, has America become “One Nation, Ungovernable”? No one can even say with certainty anymore how many federal agencies exist;…
Blog
Don’t Follow the Money
The July/August issue of Foreign Affairs has an excellent article by Professor Peter Neumann of King’s College London entitled: “Don’t Follow the Money: The Problem with…
The Conservative
Trade’s Real Enemy Is Regulation
Free trade has brought countless benefits over the past two centuries. It allows for specialisation among nations that has brought down the cost of living…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
A recent EPA rule for dental effluence caused some controversy for violating President Trump’s one-in, two-out policy for new rules.
News Release
CEI Supports Senate Consideration of Neomi Rao as OIRA Administrator
Today, the U.S. Senate voted to advance the nomination of Neomi Rao as the Trump administration’s pick to serve as the Administrator of the Office…
Forbes
Trump’s New Executive Branch Reorganization Should Discipline Agency Guidance Documents
President Donald Trump is undertaking a “Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch.” (E.O. 13781) For the new executive branch reorganization to bear…
C-SPAN
VIDEO: Wayne Crews discusses 10,000 Commandments on C-SPAN
June 24, 2017 – Vice President of Policy of the Competitive Enterprise Institute Clyde Wayne Crews discusses the newest edition of 10,000 Commandments on C-SPAN’s…
Forbes
Trump’s Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch About To Get Underway
The modern debate over the administrative state and regulation parallels skirmishes over spending, the deficit, the debt, and the debt ceiling. This week, first draft…
Los Angeles Times
California’s Clean Air Act Waiver Should Be Yanked, Trump’s Former Environmental Advisor Says
Los Angeles Times covers California’s Clean Air Act waiver and Myron Ebell’s comments at a training program hosted by the National Press Foundation.
The Conservative
VIDEO: Myron Ebell on The Conservative
April 3, 2017 – Director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment, Myron Ebell, discusses the environment, regulation, and government policy with…
Blog
Cut Crime By Repealing Useless Occupational Licensing Regulations
Many occupations that pose no special risks or need for regulation are off-limits to people who have criminal convictions, or never committed a crime, but…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
New rules from the last week are as wide-ranging as ever, from dental effluence to reciprocating engines.
Politico
The Radical Idea Behind Trump’s EPA Rollbacks
Politico discusses Trump’s environmental policy with Myron Ebell. The Trump administration isn’t just pushing to dramatically shrink the Environmental Protection Agency, chop a…
The Hill
Under Trump, Focus Shifts to Scrapping Regulations
The Hill discusses deregulation under President Trump with Wayne Crews. Federal agencies have shifted their focus under the Trump administration from writing regulations…
Blog
Federal Government Finally Powers Down on Y2K Crisis
Regulating new technologies is especially risky. The high-tech sector is an evolving frontier. Frontiers are always a bit chaotic, and it is inherent in their…
NPR
Trump Administration Gives Industry More Time to Adopt New Nutrition Fact Label
NPR covers the FDA’s decision to delay an Obama-era menu labeling rule. The Food and Drug Administration has delayed the deadline for food…
Blog
A Birthday Wish List for the President
Here are four gifts Congress should give the president before its annual July 4th recess.
Blog
The Key to Prosperity in the Southern Hemisphere and around the World
We have the potential to put developing economies on a path to avoid the mistakes made in America and among our European friends.
Reason
Trump Can Gut Obama-Era Labor Regs Because They Were Never Meant to Last
Reason covers the Secretary of Labor Acosta’s decision to eliminate independent contractor rules. Eliminating a set of Obama administration rules for independent contractors…
Las Vegas Review-Journal
EDITORIAL: The Obama Regulatory Frenzy
Las Vegas Review-Journal covers Ten Thousand Commandments by Clyde Wayne Crews Jr. With the 24/7 focus on Donald Trump’s every move and comment,…
Independent Journal Review
Bye-Bye, Regulations! Trump Cuts Regulations with a Zeal Not Seen Since Reagan
Independent Journal Review covers Ten Thousand Commandments by Clyde Wayne Crews Jr. Throughout his campaign, President Donald Trump promised to shrink the…
National Review
Here’s Three Things the President Should Do in His Executive Reorganization
Today is the last day for the public to submit ideas for the reorganization of the executive branch that the President announced in his…
WMAL
AUDIO: Marc Scribner Discusses Air Traffic Control Reform on WMAL
Marc Scribner, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, discusses Air Traffic Control Reform on the Larry O’Connor Show on WMAL.
The Washington Times
Trump Wages Battle Against Regulations, Not Climate Change
The Washington Times discusses President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement with Myron Ebell. WASHINGTON (AP) – While President Donald…
Washington Examiner
Trump Delivering Biggest Cut in Regulations Since Reagan
Washington Examiner covers Ten Thousand Commandments by Clyde Wayne Crews Jr. It was odd that a seemingly boring campaign line calling for…
Opposing Views
Trump the Most Anti-Regulation President Since Reagan
Opposing Views covers Ten Thousand Commandments by Clyde Wayne Crews Jr. While much of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda has been stalled by…
Politico
Chao Floats ‘Page Limit’ for Environmental Reviews
Politico covers CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao tonight pitched the administration’s $1 trillion infrastructure vision to an audience of…
Politico
Out and About
Politico covers CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception. The Competitive Enterprise Institute last night hosted their annual dinner, this time an Alice in Wonderland…
The Washington Times
Believe It: Fox News Tops the Ratings
The Washington Times covers CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception. … CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER An event of note on Wednesday…
The Denver Post
Colorado’s Costly “Demand-Side Management” Bill Makes No Sense
At the end of the legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly had an opportunity to stop a nonsensical electricity program that will cost Xcel Energy…
USA Today
MILLS: Massive Regulation a Drain on Economy, Study Finds
USA Today covers Ten Thousand Commandments. Regulations are a burden on consumers, businesses, and the economy, according to a new study by the…
The Hill
Trump May Restrict Length of Environmental Reviews Under Infrastructure Plan
The Hill covers Trasportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s remarks at CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception. The Trump administration may enforce restrictions on the length…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The majority of new regulations coming out are still of the routine procedural variety—Coast Guard safety zones for fireworks shows, Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directives…
Inside Sources
Point: Net Neutrality Bad for Consumers
The FCC’s proposed rollback of its 2015 Open Internet Order has put the term “net neutrality” back in the political zeitgeist. The phrase itself is…
Blog
Cooking Up Fewer Regulations: Trump’s Significant Proposed Rules Down Over 70 Percent Compared To Obama
Whether looking at predecessors’ first or final years, Trump is so far the least regulatory president of all.
Blog
Through the Looking Glass: Washington Gets Curiouser and Curiouser
The following remarks were delivered by CEI President Kent Lassman at CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception held on June 7, 2017. Thank you. Despite her…
Blog
Five Things You’ll Encounter at the CEI Dinner
This week, almost a thousand of Washington’s finest liberty lovers will travel through the rabbit hole to CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception.
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
After a lengthy delay, several Obama-era rules are starting to come into effect, especially energy-use rules ranging from refrigerators to ceiling fans.
Reason
Report: Obama’s Final Year Included a Mind-Boggling, Record-Breaking Number of Federal Regulations
Reason discusses CEI’s 10,000 Commandments with Clyde Wayne Crews Jr. During the final year of the Obama administration, federal regulations drained more than…
The Washington Times
Obama’s Regulations in 2016 to Drain Economy by $2 Trillion
The Washington Times covers 10,000 Commandments. The Obama administration issued a record number of new regulations on its way out the door in…
Staff & Scholars
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Ryan Young
Senior Economist
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Regulatory Reform
Fred L. Smith, Jr.
Founder; Chairman Emeritus
- Automobiles and Roads
- Aviation
- Business and Government
Sam Kazman
Counsel Emeritus
- Antitrust
- Automobiles and Roads
- Banking and Finance
Marlo Lewis, Jr.
Senior Fellow
- Climate
- Energy
- Energy and Environment