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
The week in regulations: Beet food coloring and crab housekeeping
Culture warriors got upset over the Super Bowl halftime show. A mini-shutdown over ICE funding delayed some labor market indicators. Agencies issued new regulations ranging…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Social mobility in the 50 states with Justin Callais
In this week’s episode we talk about satellite shot clocks at the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Reserve nominee Kevin Warsh’s digital-dollar beliefs,…
Blog
Halfway through the 119th Congress, CEI’s Agenda is turning into action
As the 119th Congress reaches its halfway mark, it is a good time to look back on what lawmakers have done in the past year.
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News Release
Merrill Lynch Rulings Show Serious Flaws in Wall Street Research Settlement
Contact for Interviews:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /> Jody Clarke, 202.331.2252<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Washington, D.C.,…
News Release
Broadcast of “Corporate Aftershock” Book Forum
Watch a webcast of the forum on the new book, Corporate Aftershock: The Public Policy Lessons from the Collapse of Enron and Other Major…
Op-Eds
Manager’s Journal: What Media Monopolies?
AN ODD-BALL COLLECTION of special interests are patting themselves on the back this week after convincing the House of Representatives to scale back…
Op-Eds
Biotech Woes…and the Culprits
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />America learned long ago that what's good for General Motors isn't necessarily good for the country.
Op-Eds
Stop This Today! Unsolicited E-mail vs. Unsolicited Legislation
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml” /><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /><?xml:namespace prefix = w ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word” />In a…
News Release
CEI Files Comments on Proposed Travel Regulations
Full comments available in pdf format.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” /> Contact for Interviews: …
Staff & Scholars
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Ryan Young
Senior Economist and Director of Publications
- 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