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In an op-ed column published Jan. 18th in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), President Obama laid out a directive to his administration to examine the system of regulatory actions and the impact it has had on the nation’s economy. According to the column, his plan “requires that federal agencies ensure that regulations protect our safety, health and environment while promoting economic growth. And it orders a government-wide review of the rules already on the books to remove outdated regulations that stifle job creation and make our economy less competitive.” Along with the WSJ piece, the President also released an executive order and two memos further laying out his new strategy.

As committee rosters for the House of Representatives are being finalized, the new GOP chairmen have already started their hearings to investigate the regulatory system of the Obama Administration. Over the coming weeks, expect to see a variety of Cabinet members making visits to Capitol Hill, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, just to name a few.

Meanwhile, Senators are assembling their lists of current regulations harming their constituencies. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), joined by incoming Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), sent a letter to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein listing out many of the destructive regulations in place, or in the works, at USDA and EPA. These include: Clean Air Act initiatives, Clean Water Act strategies and rulemakings, GIPSA changes, and biotechnology decisions, amongst many others.

NMPF staff will be working closely with the Administration and Congress to identify the troublesome regulations and work to find solutions for improvement or elimination.