Lobbyists, Businesses Prep for New Wave of Regulations

"They're going to try to do with regulation what they cannot do with legislation"

President Obama has begun to wield the power of the executive to press forward with a second-term agenda that delights the left and terrifies the right.

When he said "we must act" in his inaugural address last week, liberals cheered him on and conservatives saw that the electoral earthquake of November is likely to be followed by a tsunami of executive orders and regulations.

Lawmakers, lobbyists and policy groups say they are expecting a deluge of new rules from agencies across the federal government.

"They're going to try to do with regulation what they cannot do with legislation," said Mike House of Hogan & Lovells, a law and lobbying firm whose clients include businesses and trade groups.