Response to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Letter Requesting Input on its Regulatory Improvement Effort
Introduction
The George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center is pleased to respond to the request by Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Carper, Subcommittee Chairman Lankford, and Ranking Member Heitkamp for recommendations for improving the regulatory process. The Center commends the Committee for initiating this regulatory improvement effort. Regulation is one of the primary vehicles by which federal policy is formulated, and it affects every household, employee, and business in the United States.
The George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center works to improve regulatory policy through research, education, and outreach. An academic center of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, we are a network of scholars from around the globe with experience and credibility on regulatory matters who conduct objective, empirically-based analysis of regulatory policies and practices.
While neither the Center nor the George Washington University takes institutional positions on issues, the work of our scholars is relevant for the Committee's Regulatory Improvement Effort. This document summarizes the key insights from some of our research, and provides citations to relevant background documents that provide further detail. Suggestions are divided into six categories relating to regulatory impact analysis, judicial review, congressional oversight, retrospective review, public input, and risk assessment.