The REINS Act
Recently I voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the debt ceiling legislation negotiated by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden.
As I’ve said before, I have long believed that Congress has a responsibility to the American people to “rein in” wasteful and excessive spending.
In late April, I voted to raise the debt ceiling by supporting the Limit, Save, Grow Act. Limit, Save, Grow was the House Republicans common-sense legislation to limit by Congress’ reckless spending, while raising the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion.
Unfortunately, not only were the reforms in the Fiscal Responsibility Act not anywhere close to those in Limit, Save, Grow, but it increased the debt limit by an additional $2.5 trillion to $4 trillion.
I could not justify voting in favor of legislation that raises the debt ceiling by a projected $4 trillion without a majority of the spending reforms previously agreed to.
Specifically, I was disappointed that the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act was not included in this new legislation, a provision I strongly supported in Limit, Save, Grow. The REINS Act requires economically significant regulations proposed by federal agencies, or those costing in excess of $100 million per year, to be approved Congress before taking effect.
Article 1 of the Constitution grants Congress the “power of the purse”, giving Congress taxing and spending power and the authority to appropriate money collected by the federal government.
Historically, this power has been one of the main tools by which Congress has limited executive power. Unfortunately, over the years, Congress has increasingly given away this power to the federal branch indirectly through granting authority to the executive branch to pass regulations that can force spending by both the federal government and private enterprise without first obtaining congressional approval for said spending.
Many times, the agencies take authority not explicitly given to them. Just one example would be the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the interpretation of the ‘Waters of the United States,’ made by the Environment Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers.
For example, during President George Bush’s first year in office, his administration finalized 36 economically significant regulations, or major rules. In 2021, the Biden administration finalized 69 of these major rules. It is time we stop this trend.
This trend has led to a powerful administrative state of unelected bureaucrats. They often act outside the bounds of our Constitution framework and our country’s democratic republic principles.
By requiring Congress to approve any major rule proposed by the federal branch, the REINS Act would take a significant step in restoring Congress’ legislative authority, as originally intended. Elected officials, not bureaucrats, should be in control of federal policy.
Moving forward, I am committed to finding ways to advance the REINS Act in the House and, eventually, get it enacted into law. We are scheduled to soon debate REINS. The House will pass the REINS Act and I call on the Senate to do the same.
It’s not about Democrats or Republicans, it’s about the legislative branch reasserting their authority over the executive branch.
D-Day
On another note, June 6 is the 79th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. More than 150,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen were part of D-Day and the Normandy campaign.
With redistricting, the Ninth District has been expanded to include Bedford and Franklin Counties. This means that the District now includes the National D-Day Memorial, as well as the Bedford Boys Tribute Center. The Bedford Boys, otherwise known as the Virginia National Guard – Company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, were one of the American units at the forefront of the D-Day invasion.
When Company A stormed Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, there were 35 soldiers from Bedford, as well as other men from counties across the Ninth District. By the end of the campaign, 23 of the boys from Bedford would be dead. Because of this, Bedford, Virginia had the highest per capita death toll of any town or city in the United States. This is what inspired Congress to establish the D-Day memorial in Bedford.
I encourage everyone to visit Bedford and stop by both the D-Day Memorial and the Tribute Center to learn more about the D-Day invasion and to honor the men who were the point of the spear in cracking through Hitler’s “Atlantic Wall.”
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.
