Only days after being sworn into office, the new 115th Congress is rushing forward an unprecedented wave of bills aimed at enfeebling the federal agencies that protect the food on our tables, the air we breathe and the roads we travel.
Holding the narrowest of majorities in Congress, Republicans are unable to rewrite the bipartisan laws that created these agencies. Instead, under the guise of “regulatory reform,” Republican congressional leaders are pushing a series of bills that would weaken federal agencies by impairing their ability to carry out their basic responsibilities under the law to ensure our families are protected against unsafe or unfair products, pollution and practices.
Rather than challenge popular agencies openly, some in Congress hope to hobble them with one fell swoop of bills that prevent their ability to update rules and regulations—in essence, a slow-rolling shutdown of government safety.