Congressman Ben Cline | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Ben Cline | Official U.S. House headshot
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed Congressman Ben Cline's Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act (H.R. 357), a bipartisan bill aimed at providing greater accountability to taxpayers in the regulatory process. The bill, cosponsored by Congressman Jared Golden, requires all rules, except in limited circumstances, to be signed and issued by an individual appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
In a statement, Rep. Ben Cline emphasized the need to address the issue of unelected career bureaucrats imposing costly regulatory burdens. He stated, "For too long, costly regulatory burdens have been imposed by unelected career bureaucrats, rather than an individual confirmed by the Senate. That is unacceptable." He believes that the passage of this legislation is a step in the right direction to rein in Washington bureaucrats' overreach of power and ensure a government that is accountable to the American people.
Rep. Jared Golden also expressed his support for the bill, emphasizing the importance of federal regulations being made by officials who are accountable to the American people. He stated, "House passage of this common-sense, bipartisan bill brings us one step closer to a more responsible and responsive government."
The Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act is Rep. Cline's first legislation to pass the House floor in the 118th Congress. It will now head to the Senate for consideration.
The bill has garnered significant support from cosponsors, including Jared Golden, Scott Perry, Mary Miller, Mark Green, Andy Ogles, Josh Brecheen, Ralph Norman, Nancy Mace, Michael Cloud, Michael Guest, Dan Crenshaw, Harriet Hageman, Andy Biggs, Debbie Lesko, Byron Donalds, Eli Crane, Russell Fry, Lance Gooden, and Mark Alford.
The need for this legislation is evident in a 2019 study by the Pacific Legal Foundation, which found that 98% of all rules issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2001 and 2017 were done so by non-Senate confirmed officials. The study also revealed that 25 of those rules had an economic impact of over $100 million, and the FDA's high incidence of rules issued by minor officials meant that more than 70% of all HHS rules were deemed "unconstitutional."
In 2021, while Congress passed 143 laws, federal agencies issued a staggering 3,257 rules. These agency rules come with an estimated cost of $1.927 trillion annually, equivalent to $14,684 per U.S. household each year.
The passage of Congressman Cline's bill is a significant step towards ensuring greater accountability and transparency in the regulatory process. By requiring rules to be signed and issued by individuals appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, taxpayers can have confidence that their voices are being heard and that their government is working for them.
About Congressman Ben Cline, he represents the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia and has a background as an attorney in private practice. He has also served as both an assistant prosecutor and a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Cline, along with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children, resides in Botetourt County.
The passage of this bipartisan bill in the House is a positive development in the ongoing efforts to rein in the power of unelected bureaucrats and ensure a government that is accountable to the American people.
To learn more, click on this link: https://cline.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1335
Alerts Sign-up