Bill to give Congress veto power over regulations advances in House

Legislation that would give Congress veto power over major regulations was sent to the full House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

The bill, which has broad support among House Republicans, was approved out of a Judiciary subcommittee in a 6-3 party line vote.

Originally introduced in 2011, the Regulations in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act would allow Congress to review regulations with an estimated impact of $100 million or more. Committee Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) said it’s “common sense” to have Congress review the “increasing tide of major federal regulations.”

Democrats on the panel criticized the legislation. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) likened the reintroduction of the bill to the movie “Groundhog Day” and said the proposal would interfere with the work of federal agencies.

“I think it's illogical and gets us into the weeds where Congress was never supposed to go,” Cohen said.

The REINS Act would require that a major regulation be sent to the relevant House committee for a vote within 15 legislative days. If the committee chooses not to vote on the rule, the regulations would automatically be sent to the floor, where the Speaker would have 70 days to hold a vote on it.

Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) said that while he doesn’t see the bill as a “magical fix,” it is a necessary step.

The REINS Act has 147 Republican co-sponsors in the House.

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