293:(OIRA), issued a memo to federal agencies directing them to: “To the extent feasible and consistent with your priorities, statutory obligations, and judicial deadlines, however, agencies should strive to complete their highest priority rulemakings by the summer of 2016 to avoid an end-of-year scramble that has the potential to lower the quality of regulations that OIRA receives for review and to tax the resources available for interagency review.” In the Obama administration's final
105:
92:, Congress can effectively overturn the regulations by passing more explicit statutory mandates. But in each case the period in which the disfavored regulations are law may permit undesired results to take place. For example, a heavily polluting power plant could be built in the period that a federal regulation is law. A third option is for Congress to overturn the regulation under the
182:
304:
Starting in
November 2016 (the first month of the Obama “midnight period”), OIRA concluded review of 57 rule-makings – a 26 percent increase over the monthly pace from the rest of 2016. Fourteen of these measures were “economically significant” rule-makings. That represents the second-highest total
266:, these efforts were effective in only a few cases; for other environmental rules the Obama administration tried to reverse some rules through Congress and some through the same slow administrative rulemaking process while interest groups challenged other environmental regulations in the courts.
337:
to allow
Congress to consider a joint resolution to disapprove multiple regulations that federal agencies have submitted for congressional review within the last 60 legislative days of a session of Congress during the final year of a President's term.” The bill passed in the
259:
Hours after Obama took office, his administration ordered all executive branch agencies to halt enactment of any rules proposed during the Bush administration until the incoming administration could review them. According to the environmentalist magazine
57:
by the specialist agencies in the executive branch adds necessary detail to these laws. Rulemaking also provides an administration with an opportunity to exert political influence over government without having to go through
Congress to change the law.
88:. In addition, reversing recently enacted regulations may distract an incoming administration from its own regulatory agenda. Alternatively, because regulations are executive branch agencies' interpretations of statutes passed by
80:
magazine, argues that most midnight regulations are in fact primarily political symbolism rather than major regulatory change. Regulations that have not yet become law can be placed on hold by the incoming
President.
809:
61:
U.S. federal law mandates a 60-day waiting period before any major regulatory changes become law. Thus, some presidents try to publish new major regulations on
November 21, 60 days before the new president's
836:
156:
enacted a flurry of rules limiting logging and lead paint, raising appliance energy efficiency, and tightening privacy of medical records. One of
Clinton's midnight regulations imposed a more stringent
96:
of 1996, requiring congressional approval for any similar rule issued in the future. Of the 50,000 regulations enacted since the Act was passed, As of 2008, only fifteen had been so overturned.
169:
eventually approved it. When
President George W. Bush took office in 2001, his administration acted to block the implementation of 90 final rules that were issued in the final months of the
322:
197:
also approved thousands of pages of dozens of new agency rules, setting a new record. Many of these regulations were promulgated in the hope of ensuring enactment before
119:'s single term as president. Carter's administration set a new record for midnight regulations by publishing more than 10,000 pages of new rules between Election Day and
208:
encouraged timely passage of the rules in a May 2008 memo to agencies suggesting that final versions be submitted by
November 1. Finalized and proposed rules included:
544:
Antony Davies and
Veronique de Rugy (March 2008), Midnight Regulations: An Update, Mercatus Center, George Washington University, Working Paper No. 08-06
84:
Regulations that take effect before a new president takes office can still be reversed by the same executive agencies, but this requires a considerable
1059:
857:
298:
134:
Due to midnight regulations, since 1948, during the period between a presidential election and the inauguration of a president of a different
70:
100 million in effect on the economy or do not have major social policy significance, have a similar 30-day waiting period. Tom Firey, of the
349:
has written letters to
Shelanski and multiple other agencies asking them to put a hold on regulatory activity during this “midnight period”.
162:
290:
1021:
158:
301:
in the “midnight period” with combined regulatory cost estimates (from the “proposed rule” versions) of approximately $ 44.1 billion.
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543:
189:
wrote a memo encouraging Administration agencies to pass rules in time for them to become law before the end of Bush's second term.
800:
63:
339:
270:
34:
632:
604:
555:
915:
883:
233:
for workers at hospitals receiving federal money (particularly state hospitals), allowing them to refuse to perform
23:
663:
38:
486:
325:
introduced legislation that would provide a check upon Obama administration midnight rules. Representative
253:
194:
230:
26:
434:
305:
in any November “midnight period” since at least 1996. Notable rulemakings from November 2016 include:
282:
202:
170:
153:
401:
723:
334:
226:
93:
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449:
372:
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984:
773:
330:
166:
89:
50:
719:
457:
421:
380:
76:
1026:
67:
972:
961:
950:
939:
115:
The term "midnight regulation" entered the lexicon in 1980–81, during the final months of
8:
636:
85:
745:
218:
An adopted rule that opens up public land to drilling preliminary to the development of
813:
578:
514:
144:
has averaged 17 percent more pages than during the same period in non-election years.
16:
US federal regulations by executive branch agencies in period of an outgoing president
691:
778:
286:
262:
249:
140:
30:
1022:"Obama's regulatory czar under pressure to cutoff [sic] 'midnight rules'"
609:
453:
376:
213:
135:
124:
294:
244:
Several other rules were already adopted in late 2008, including one increasing
810:
United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
491:
405:
285:
recognized the potential for midnight regulations as early as the end of 2015.
165:
study. Although Bush suspended the new regulation upon taking office, EPA head
71:
1002:
690:
Power, Stephen; Elizabeth Williamson; Christopher Conkey (November 20, 2008).
1048:
273:
held a hearing on midnight regulations the month after Obama's inauguration.
238:
205:
186:
120:
858:"Lame Duck Regulatory Agenda Projects $ 44 Billion in Midnight Costs - AAF"
689:
668:
640:
326:
245:
198:
116:
108:
774:"Midnight regulations: After midnight, we're going to let it all hang out"
346:
692:"White House Pushes Through a Flurry of Rule Changes Sought by Business"
128:
54:
111:
was the first president to make extensive use of midnight regulations.
219:
518:
234:
750:
66:
on January 20. "Minor" regulations, or those that have less than
201:
took office and could prevent the rules from becoming law. Bush
181:
402:""Congress and Midnight Regulations" featuring Thomas A. Firey"
333:, or the “Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016”, that “amends the
104:
53:
passes laws that sometimes outline only broad policy mandates.
252:
to eleven and another restricting employee time off under the
633:"ENVIRONMENT-US: Bush Quietly Passes Dozens of New Rules"
269:
A subcommittee on administrative law in the Democratic
44:
664:"Bush sneaks through host of laws to undermine Obama"
598:
596:
123:'s Inauguration Day. The term is an allusion to the "
837:"Regulatory Review at the End of the Administration"
746:"WHouse stops pending Bush regulations for review"
593:
1046:
951:Revision of Nutrition Facts for Meat and Poultry
720:"The Bush Administration's Midnight Regulations"
312:Revision of Nutrition Facts for Meat and Poultry
846:. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
450:"Bush Hits Deadline For 'Midnight Regulations'"
985:"H.R.5982 - Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016"
916:"Charting Midnight Regulation: November - AAF"
884:"Charting Midnight Regulation: November - AAF"
256:. The rules attracted considerable criticism.
212:A finalized rule that effectively deregulates
940:OIRA Conclusion of EO 12866 Regulatory Review
556:Bush Wants Sun to Set on Midnight Regulations
373:"Dems Scrutinize Bush's Midnight Regulations"
291:Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
881:
515:"Will Bush's midnight rules be reversible?"
539:
537:
535:
834:
771:
605:"Democrats Eye Bush Midnight Regulations"
480:
478:
476:
474:
805:Midnight Rulemaking: Shedding Some Light
717:
602:
485:Kolbert, Elizabeth (November 24, 2008).
180:
103:
1019:
835:Shelanski, Howard (December 17, 2015).
772:Livermore, Michael (February 4, 2010).
743:
532:
484:
370:
309:Conservation Standards for Ceiling Fans
173:but that had not yet gone into effect.
131:in the final months of his presidency.
1060:United States presidential transitions
1047:
744:Zakaria, Tabassum (January 20, 2009).
661:
571:
512:
471:
447:
910:
908:
906:
904:
630:
603:Skrzycki, Cindy (November 11, 2008).
513:Sapien, Joaquin (November 19, 2008).
404:. January 9, 2009. 7:51 minutes in.
962:Passenger Equipment Safety Standards
371:Chideya, Farai (November 20, 2008).
366:
364:
362:
315:Passenger Equipment Safety Standards
718:Schwartz, Emma (October 30, 2008).
631:Leahy, Stephen (December 1, 2008).
448:Overby, Peter (November 21, 2008).
159:drinking water standard for arsenic
45:Process of creating new regulations
13:
901:
812:. February 4, 2009. Archived from
662:Harris, Paul (December 14, 2008).
572:Broder, John (September 9, 2007).
14:
1071:
1020:Devaney, Tim (December 7, 2016).
973:Renewable Fuel Standards for 2017
562:, Tuesday, June 3, 2008; Page D03
359:
318:Renewable Fuel Standards for 2017
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1055:United States administrative law
882:Sam Batkins (December 6, 2016).
24:United States federal government
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1:
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844:obamawhitehouse.archives.gov
289:, the Administrator for the
254:Family and Medical Leave Act
7:
574:"A Legacy Bush Can Control"
10:
1076:
99:
487:"Comment: Midnight Hour"
340:House of Representatives
335:Congressional Review Act
271:House of Representatives
94:Congressional Review Act
888:AmericanActionForum.org
697:The Wall Street Journal
1007:United States Congress
989:United States Congress
342:by a vote of 240–179.
190:
171:Clinton administration
167:Christine Todd Whitman
154:Clinton administration
112:
51:United States Congress
184:
107:
991:. November 28, 2016.
283:Obama administration
229:that provides for a
185:Bush Chief of Staff
33:agencies during the
20:Midnight regulations
816:on December 2, 2010
643:on December 5, 2008
560:The Washington Post
195:Bush administration
86:rule-making process
41:'s administration.
579:The New York Times
191:
113:
429:Missing or empty
323:House Republicans
231:conscience clause
35:transition period
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1039:
1038:
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639:. Archived from
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554:Cindy Skrzycki,
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377:News & Notes
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299:25 notable rules
287:Howard Shelanski
250:hours of service
214:industrial farms
141:Federal Register
31:executive branch
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1003:"Roll Call 585"
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161:after years of
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127:" appointed by
125:midnight judges
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47:
37:of an outgoing
17:
12:
11:
5:
1073:
1063:
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736:
710:
682:
654:
623:
592:
564:
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531:
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492:The New Yorker
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406:Cato Institute
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295:Unified Agenda
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239:contraceptives
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203:Chief of Staff
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177:George W. Bush
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101:
98:
72:Cato Institute
46:
43:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1004:
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952:
947:
941:
936:
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297:, there were
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246:truck drivers
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227:proposed rule
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206:Joshua Bolten
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187:Joshua Bolten
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121:Ronald Reagan
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56:
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28:
25:
21:
1031:. Retrieved
1025:
1015:
997:
979:
968:
957:
946:
935:
923:. Retrieved
919:
891:. Retrieved
887:
877:
865:. Retrieved
861:
852:
843:
830:
820:November 20,
818:. Retrieved
814:the original
802:
801:
795:
785:November 20,
783:. Retrieved
777:
767:
757:November 20,
755:. Retrieved
749:
739:
729:November 29,
727:. Retrieved
713:
701:. Retrieved
695:
685:
675:November 20,
673:. Retrieved
669:The Guardian
667:
657:
645:. Retrieved
641:the original
626:
616:November 29,
614:. Retrieved
608:
585:November 29,
583:. Retrieved
577:
567:
559:
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508:
498:November 29,
496:. Retrieved
490:
463:November 29,
461:. Retrieved
443:
422:cite episode
412:November 20,
410:. Retrieved
396:
384:. Retrieved
344:
327:Darrell Issa
321:
303:
280:
277:Barack Obama
268:
261:
258:
243:
237:or dispense
199:Barack Obama
192:
151:
148:Bill Clinton
139:
133:
117:Jimmy Carter
114:
109:Jimmy Carter
83:
75:
64:inauguration
60:
48:
19:
18:
1033:December 8,
925:December 8,
867:December 8,
803:Hearing on:
703:December 3,
647:December 3,
524:December 1,
386:December 1,
347:Ron Johnson
329:introduced
29:created by
27:regulations
1049:Categories
353:References
248:' maximum
222:extraction
129:John Adams
77:Regulation
55:Rulemaking
331:H.R. 5982
235:abortions
220:oil shale
39:president
1027:The Hill
893:April 1,
724:ABC News
519:Politico
345:Senator
90:Congress
751:Reuters
408:podcast
100:History
138:, the
840:(PDF)
779:Grist
263:Grist
136:party
1035:2016
927:2016
895:2017
869:2016
822:2010
787:2010
759:2010
731:2008
705:2008
677:2010
649:2008
618:2008
587:2008
526:2008
500:2009
465:2008
435:help
414:2010
388:2008
281:The
193:The
152:The
68:US$
49:The
22:are
920:AAF
862:AAF
637:IPS
458:NPR
381:NPR
163:EPA
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
