Midnight Rules Relief Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Nadler for yielding.

We are in the people's House, and we often say that democracy is built on checks and balances, but my Republican colleagues seem to have no respect for the fundamental separation of powers.

H.R. 115 is a bald-faced attempt to expand the power of Congress in order to abuse the power of Congress. Let me say that again: H.R. 115 attempts to expand the power of Congress so that it can then abuse the power of Congress.

While a process to address specific agency rules may have been finalized in the late hours of an outgoing administration, there are already systems in place to address it.

Republicans want to have the power to go back 60 legislative days-- think about that; that can take us as far as May--and bundle dozens or even hundreds of agency rules into one single resolution. Then, they want to go as far as forbidding the agency from issuing any rules that are substantially the same in the future.

We are seeing today exactly what Republicans plan to do in the next 2 years. While leading the most unproductive Congress in U.S. history, they also want to expand their power so when they do take action, when they finally take action, they can inflict the maximum damage on rules and policies that benefit working people, working Americans.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I would like to offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an amendment to this bill to send the bill back to the Judiciary Committee and exclude any rule that was noticed more than 6 months prior to when the rule was finalized.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source