Obama Administration Promises to Review All Federal Regulations Except The Really Significant Ones It Just Enacted
President Obama apparently thinks it's time to streamline the nation's mesh of mixed up rules and regulations in order to help kick the economy into gear. And so, as The Washington Post put it, he ordered a "systematic review of existing regulations, a concerted effort to banish red tape at a time when the administration is eager to promote economic growth and to repair its fractured relations with the business community."
What about the major regulatory overhauls put in place by his administration? They've certainly been the focus of a lot of criticism, and they've been big factors in spurring concern about the impact of regulations on the economy. Surely they'll factor into the review, right?
Yeah, well, according to the administration, not so much:
President Barack Obama's government-wide review of federal regulations will have little effect on two of the president's major regulatory victories: an overhaul of Wall Street and the health-care market, according to a White House budget official.
The review focuses on old, outdated regulations so new ones written as part of the health-care and financial overhaul likely won't be affected, an official at the White House Office of Management and Budget said. Mr. Obama wants agencies to take a fresh look at old regulations to determine whether they are outdated or unnecessary. "New regulations will not be priorities for the lookback," the official said.
No, I suppose not.
