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Featured: The Congressional Review Act

What it does

The Congressional Review Act (CRA) establishes procedures for Congress to overturn final rules issued by federal agencies. After an agency's rule is reported to Congress, members of Congress have 60 days to introduce a joint resolution disapproving of the rule. When signed into law, these resolutions of disapproval (RDs) overturn the rule in question and bar agencies from issuing a "substantially similar" rule. The CRA offers two unique mechanisms: the Senate "fast-track" procedures and the "lookback" period. For an in-depth discussion of these mechanics and more, see our Regulatory Insight A Lookback at the Law: How Congress Uses the CRA. 

CRA Use Trending Upward for Both Major and Non-major Rules, 1996-2022

Line chart showing trends in the number of Congressional Review Act resolutions introduced by calendar year. The chart peaks in 2017, with 67 resolutions introduced in Congress at the beginning of the Trump administration.

CRA Window Exploratory Dashboard

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CRA Window Exploratory Dashboard - screen grab


This dashboard allows users to explore the set of final rules published in the Federal Register in 2024, and how various lookback dates could affect the set of rules available for congressional review at the beginning of the next session of Congress. View Dashboard.

Commentary:

The Continued Evolution of the Congressional Review Act. Susan Dudley & Steve Balla, April 22, 2026. Previously considered largely a tool for the incoming Congress and president to overturn a departing president's midnight regulations, Congress has recently begun using the CRA in unanticipated ways.

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Our Latest Publications

 

Cumulative Economically Significant Final Rules by Administration

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Cumulative Econ Significant Rules Over Entire 02/2026

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Does the Constitution Require Agencies to Use Biased Judges?

The Supreme Court should uphold longstanding legislation protecting the neutrality of administrative law judges.

Looking Back at 30 Years of Executive Order 12866

Slide show highlights from the Center's extensive coverage of Regulatory Review provisions

Comment on FTC-DOJ Draft Merger Guidelines

The proper goal of merger enforcement policy is to prevent only those mergers that seem likely to reduce the welfare of consumers

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