[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14366]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       MIDNIGHT RULES RELIEF ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Midnight 
Rules Relief Act, which would halt President Obama's ability to rush 
through politically motivated regulations during the remainder of his 
term.
  It is clear that this administration will do everything possible to 
stop President-elect Donald Trump by jamming through as many backdoor 
regulations as possible before the clock runs out.
  Last week, the American people spoke. They made it clear that they 
want to get our economy moving again. President-elect Trump must have 
the opportunity to enact policies without regulatory hindrance from the 
previous administration.
  Mr. Speaker, since taking office, the President has ignored Article I 
of the Constitution and the will of the American people. For the past 8 
years, the President has used his pen and phone to create a fourth 
branch of government, imposing executive orders and Federal rules and 
regulations to benefit his own radical political agenda.
  In 2015 alone, the Federal Government implemented 3,400 regulations 
on Americans that cost us $1.89 trillion in lost productivity and 
growth--a cost that averages nearly $15,000 per American household. 
These regulations from unelected, unaccountable government bureaucrats 
are unfair and unjust.
  Mr. Speaker, my constituents in Missouri are desperate for greater 
security and economic opportunity. This comes with elevating, not 
undermining, the spirit of self-governance for which our Nation was 
founded.
  As a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives--the people's 
House--we must pass the Midnight Rules Relief Act to ensure that we are 
protecting the American people from reckless regulations that will 
continue to cripple our economy and target the pocketbooks of all 
Americans.
  Transparency is critical when we pass important legislation that will 
directly affect our constituents. If the President has the ability to 
impose major regulations without the necessary time for congressional 
scrutiny and oversight, we are not doing our jobs to represent and 
protect our constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, I have spent my time in Congress fighting for our 
families, fighting to repeal regulations that are hindering business 
growth, and fighting to provide a voice for the voiceless. It is our 
duty to pass this legislation and continue to fight against the 
President's irresponsible agenda and give our new President, Donald 
Trump, the support that he has earned.

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