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: Lime emissions and stabilizing the Western Balkans
The 2024 Federal Register set a new all-time record page count on December 3. It surpassed 2016’s record of 95,894 pages with nearly a month to spare. Syria’s dictatorship…
Blog
Biden breaks Federal Register record
Joe Biden’s administration has set a new Federal Register record with 96,088 pages as of December 3, 2024, surpassing the Obama administration’s 95,894 pages in…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Milk marketing and sport fishing
It was a shortened week on account of Thanksgiving. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from fed cattle to general service lamps. On to the data: • Agencies issued 57 final regulations last week,…
Search Posts
Blog
Can You Make a Living without a Government License?
There is an expanding strange-bedfellows coalition that would like to see fewer professions for which people need a government-issued license.
RealClear Policy
Regulatory Reform: A Beacon of Light for Bipartisanship
Common ground is nearly impossible to find in Washington these days. But with the Senate’s recent confirmation of Neomi Rao as the White House’s…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
As the reality television drama in Washington continues to unfold, regulatory agencies pushed the 2017 Federal Register past the 35,000-page mark and issued 75 new…
Las Vegas Review-Journal
EDITORIAL: Donald Trump Makes a Bit of Headway on Regulatory Relief
Las Vegas Review-Journal cites 10,000 Commandments by Wayne Crews. It would take years to significantly erode a federal regulatory state that has…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
As summer marches on, regulatory agencies issued more than 60 new regulations in the last week.
Forbes
How Is Trump’s “One-In, Two-Out” Policy On Federal Regulations Going?
The Trump White House has just published the “Spring” 2017 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The Unified Agenda is the federal…
Blog
Restore Economic Opportunity by Repealing Occupational Licensing Rules
To increase growth, we need to get rid of some of the unnecessary barriers to economic opportunity that have arisen in recent years – such…
Blog
Resolution of Disapproval of CFPB’s Arbitration Rule Is Long Overdue
This week, the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider a joint resolution of disapproval (H.J. Res. 111) of a controversial new regulation issued…
Blog
Legislation Introduced in Congress to Ease Regulations on Small and Medum-Sized Banks
While recent news cycles dominating Washington have focused on Russia, health care, and now tax reform, some little-noticed progress is being made in deregulating the…
Blog
OMB Director Mick Mulvaney Discusses the Trump Administration’s Regulatory Reform Efforts
The following is an excerpt from remarks delivered by Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on The Path Forward of Regulatory Reform held at CEI…
Government Executive
Trump Regulatory Chief Hits Ground Running for ‘Fundamental Shift’
Government Executive discusses the Trump administration’s release of the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions with Wayne Crews, author of 10,000 Commandments.
Blog
Trump’s Regulations at Six Months: The Least-Regulatory President since Reagan
No one is surprised that the Trump administration would issue considerably fewer regulations than the Obama administration. Today we got not only “Donald J. Trump’s…
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…
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