[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3445]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT RESOLUTIONS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, regulations aren't issued in a vacuum. 
They have real economic consequences that can harm the middle class. 
They can kill jobs, raise prices, depress wages, and lower 
opportunities. Yet the Obama administration went on a regulatory 
rampage at a time when we should have been looking to do just the 
opposite.
  On its way out the door, the previous administration continued to 
push through more of these job-killing, partisan regulations against 
the advice of Congress, State and local officials, and policy experts. 
Fortunately, we now have the opportunity to provide relief from some of 
these costly, duplicative rules using the tools provided by the 
Congressional Review Act, or CRA.
  We only have a short window of opportunity to use these CRA tools, 
however, which is why we have been working quickly to provide relief. 
The Senate has already advanced several proposals that repeal harmful 
regulations. Together with the new administration, we have embarked on 
what one national paper most recently called ``the most ambitious 
rollback since Reagan.''
  Three CRA resolutions have already become law, and we look forward to 
passing even more this week. In fact, we will have an opportunity to 
send the President another resolution as soon as this evening.
  The proposal before us would block another duplicative, unnecessary 
eleventh hour regulation that hurts American businesses. This one is 
called the ``blacklisting rule.'' Apparently, the last administration 
thought it would be a good idea to prevent American businesses from 
earning government contracts based on allegations, not facts. 
Unsurprisingly, Federal courts have blocked the rule because of its 
questionable legality. Now we have the opportunity to provide permanent 
relief.
  Of course, we all agree that companies should be held accountable and 
that workers' rights should be protected. Current law already provides 
the tools to do just that. But the blacklisting rule isn't really about 
helping employers or workers. It is about empowering the powerful--like 
union bosses and entrenched bureaucrats--and it would actually make a 
system designed to protect workers even less efficient. More important 
for the American people, it would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions, 
generate millions of hours of paperwork, and, of course, threaten jobs. 
So, of course, it is time to move past this regulation.
  I want to thank my colleague Senator Johnson, chairman of the 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, for working with 
the House to advance this resolution and protect the American people. I 
look forward to its final passage tonight.
  After we take that vote, the Senate will continue working to advance 
even more regulatory relief measures to help get our country back on 
track.

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