The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform convened to pass several bills aimed at reducing regulatory burdens, in alignment with the Trump Administration's objectives. The committee had previously reported that the Biden-Harris Administration imposed $1.7 trillion in new federal regulatory costs, impacting American households and businesses.
Chairman James Comer stated, "The Biden Administration abandoned successful regulatory reforms implemented by President Trump... Today, the House Oversight Committee acted to restore a regulatory system that is guided by commonsense, efficiency, and real results."
Among the approved bills was H.R. 2409, the Guidance Clarity Act introduced by Representative Eric Burlison. This bill mandates federal agencies to clarify that guidance documents do not have legal force. Burlison emphasized transparency: "This bipartisan bill ensures transparency and fairness... How is that transparent? This bill will fix this."
H.R. 67, Modernizing Retrospective Regulatory Review by Representative Andy Biggs, directs the Office of Management and Budget to use technology for reviewing outdated regulations. Biggs noted its alignment with Trump's deregulatory agenda: "H.R. 67 carries that mission forward."
Representative Celeste Maloy's H.R. 689, the Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement (FREE) Act aims to streamline federal permitting processes using 'permits-by-rule'. Comer highlighted its potential impact on various sectors.
Another measure, H.R. 884 introduced by Rep. August Pfluger prohibits noncitizens from voting in D.C., reversing a local law allowing such participation.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino's H.R. 2096 seeks to amend D.C.'s personnel act to restore certain police union rights removed by recent reforms.
H.R. 672 and H.R. 3095 address ZIP Code issues nationwide, with Rep. Lauren Boebert advocating for unique codes for communities lacking them: "Too many towns and cities have gone far too long without a zip code of their own."
Finally, H.R. 580 by Rep. Virginia Foxx amends existing mandates requiring agencies to analyze impacts of major rules costing $100 million or more.
Various postal naming bills were also passed en bloc during the session.
