House passes Ratcliffe bill to combat regulatory overreach

(Jan. 7, 2016) The U.S. House of Representatives passed the All Economic Regulations are Transparent (ALERT) Act by a vote of 244-173 today. The bill, sponsored by Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas), blocks the administration from implementing federal regulations without first providing the public with detailed information for at least six months before they go into effect.

Current law requires an update twice a year on federal regulations being developed by federal agencies. Yet under this administration, these updates have been late – if they have been issued at all. The ALERT Act prevents the federal government from circumventing this requirement, and improves the quality and frequency of information available to the public.

“Constituents all across the Fourth District of Texas are frustrated with unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats who create regulations that have the force of law. Regulations that typically appear out of nowhere and bring with them huge price tags for the cost of compliance, often with little time to prepare. I’m glad the House passed my bill to prevent people from getting steamrolled in the process of trying to comply,” Ratcliffe said.

“I’m a firm believer that economic prosperity comes from the ingenuity of the American people, not the overreach of the federal government, and I’m committed to reigning in the constant stream of costly federal regulations that are being rolled out by the administration.”

The ALERT Act was included in H.R. 712, the Sunshine for Regulations and Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015, a legislative package which contained other key measures to push the government out of the American people’s way.

Submitted by Rachel Stephens, Press Secretary, Congressman John Ratcliffe (TX-04).

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