Supporters of strong environmental protections expect President-elect Donald Trump will return to a legislative weapon to wipe away his predecessor’s rulemaking legacy.
With Republicans gaining control of all of Congress and Trump returning to office, regulations completed late in President Joe Biden’s term are vulnerable to the Congressional Review Act. The law allows a prior administration’s rules to be axed with majority votes on Capitol Hill, allowing an incoming president to go on a deregulatory tear.
Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, a watchdog group, told fellow advocates in a webinar Wednesday that the regulations under threat are meant to safeguard the public and are being targeted by corporate interests.
“Some things are going to happen, and we’re not going to be able to stop some bad things from happening,” Weissman said. “It’s important that we understand that, but also that we’re politically responding to the moment correctly.”
