During the initial 100 days of their bicameral majority, Republicans have successfully repealed seven regulations established by President Joe Biden, with assistance from President Donald Trump on some, which mainly focused on energy-related policies that they contend impose burdens on producers and increase costs for consumers; however, numerous additional regulatory changes are anticipated, according to a report released on Friday.
The Washington Times reported that, to date, the regulations repealed by Republicans encompass: a rule from the Environmental Protection Agency that levied a methane emission fee on oil and natural gas facilities, which Republicans argue has hindered domestic energy production.
It is mandated that new oil and gas leaseholders on the outer continental shelf provide an archaeological report prior to commencing offshore drilling operations.
Two regulations from the Energy Department mandating increased energy efficiency standards for gas-powered hot water heaters as well as walk-in coolers and freezers.
House Republicans are utilizing the Congressional Review Act to assist President Trump in reversing the adverse effects of the Biden Administration’s policies on American energy,” stated House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), following the repeal of one of the regulations, as reported by the Times.
The Republican-controlled Congress is poised to revoke additional regulations established during the Biden administration before the opportunity for expedited action concludes. Legislators are working against a deadline set by the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which permits them to annul executive branch regulations via a streamlined procedure.
The majority of President Biden’s regulations will reach their deadline next month. Subsequently, resolutions under the Congressional Review Act may still be reviewed, but they will forfeit their privileged status in the Senate, making them susceptible to possible filibusters.
In February, Steve Scalise, the Republican Majority Leader from Louisiana, published a list of ten regulations from the Biden administration that the GOP intends to repeal. To date, both the House and Senate have approved joint resolutions to rescind five of the regulations from Scalise’s list, along with two additional regulations that were not initially included.
Three more CRA measures, including two from Scalise’s list, have been approved by the House and are now pending action in the Senate. President Trump has already enacted three CRA resolutions into law, while four additional resolutions that have passed both chambers are awaiting formal submission to him, as reported by the Times.
In March, two regulations impacting the oil and gas sector were the initial ones to be enacted into law. One of these regulations eliminated the Environmental Protection Agency’s methane emission fee, which had been established under the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act to encourage reductions in greenhouse gas emissions within the oil and gas industry. This fee was scheduled to commence at $900 per metric ton of reported methane emissions in 2024, with an increase to $1,500 per metric ton anticipated by 2026.
The Republican Party is seeking to annul the foundational legislation via their budget reconciliation bill, emphasizing that merely rescinding the regulation does not inhibit a subsequent administration from reintroducing the fee. Additionally, Trump enacted legislation that eliminated the necessity for an archaeological assessment prior to drilling in the outer continental shelf.
The third CRA measure enacted into law provides advantages to the cryptocurrency sector, which was actively sought after by President Trump during his 2024 campaign. The joint resolution nullifies an IRS regulation that categorized decentralized finance (DeFi) exchanges as brokers obligated to monitor and report user activities, according to the source.
Leaders in the cryptocurrency sector contended that the regulation is impractical, given that decentralized finance exchanges function without intermediaries and are thus unable to identify their users. Furthermore, the Times reported that four additional measures from the CRA, which have been approved by both houses of Congress, are pending transmission to the president for his signature.
House Republicans have also enacted CRA measures aimed at eliminating consumption restrictions on commercial refrigerators and freezers, along with the certification, labeling, and enforcement obligations for 20 products, which include dishwashers, washing machines, central air conditioning units, and heat pumps.
Both resolutions require Senate approval prior to being forwarded to Trump, and it is anticipated that congressional Republicans will aim to submit all four appliance-related measures simultaneously.
The president has not yet received CRA measures that would repeal two rules set by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—one that eliminates new regulations on digital payment applications such as Venmo and PayPal, which handle over 50 million consumer transactions each year, and another that reverses a regulation limiting bank overdraft fees, according to the Times.
