2017: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Excluding Regulations That Reduce
Public Lead Levels In Drinking Water From The REINS Act, Which Required
That Major Rules Receive Congressional Approval. In January 2017,
Fitzpatrick voted against an amendment to the REINS Act which would
have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "exclude[ed] rules that
would provide for a reduction in the amount of lead in public drinking
water from the definition of a 'major rule.'" The underlying legislation
was the REINS Act. The vote was on the amendment. The House rejected the
amendment by a vote of 192 to 231. [House Vote 16,
1/5/17; Congressional
Quarterly, 1/5/17; Congressional
Actions, H. Amdt.
7;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
26]
- The REINS Act Would Amend The Rule Making Process To Require
'Major Rules' -- Those With An Annual Economic Impact Of More Than
$100 -- To Need Congressional Approval. According to
Congressional Quarterly, "This bill modifies the federal rule-making
process by preventing all 'major rules' from being implemented
unless Congress enacts legislation approving them. Specifically, it
amends the Congressional Review Act (CRA; PL 104-121) to require
Congress to approve executive agency regulatory proposals that are
deemed to be 'major rules' --- rather than just giving Congress an
opportunity to disapprove those proposed rules and regulations, as
is currently the case under the CRA. The measure creates expedited
procedures for House and Senate consideration of congressional
resolutions of approval, which would not be subject to amendment.
Under the measure, 'major rules' that would require congressional
approval to be implemented generally would be those having an annual
economic impact greater than $100 million. Proposed rules
determined to be non-major would not need congressional approval to
be implemented, but Congress could move to disapprove such rules
using existing CRA disapproval procedures." [Congressional
Quarterly, 12/30/16]