The Regulatory Savvy of Biden’s Early Executive Actions
Just hours after his inauguration, President Joe Biden set in motion a series of executive actions that will shape his regulatory agenda. Taken together, they demonstrate that the incoming administration will be responsive to complaints about the regulatory system it is inheriting while still relying on time-tested and valuable analytical techniques and processes.
The study of Congress largely focuses on its members, committees, and leaders. Meanwhile, the study of federal agencies tends to focus on those that fall within the executive branch. But many agencies and institutions exist to support Congress, and administrative law and political science scholarship has largely overlooked their internal operations.
Bespoke regulatory review, fit to the particulars of each independent regulatory agency, could help remedy regulatory analysis deficiencies at independent regulatory agencies, while also addressing the long-standing legal and political stalemate of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) review of independent regulatory agencies.
2020 Regulatory Year in Review:
This Regulatory Insight recaps ten notable themes related to federal regulations that occurred in 2020. Regulatory policymaking frequently intersected with noteworthy challenges facing the country.
Advice for the Biden-Harris Administration
Time-tested regulatory practices can help ensure evidence-based policies take diverse perspectives and information into account.
Congressional Review Act Update
Based on procedures within the Congressional Review Act, all regulations issued since August 11, 2020 may be undone by the new Congress in January.
Civil service reform is important, but one has to wonder why the Trump administration is undertaking it with only a few weeks left in the administration.
