Ryan plan would roll back rules on environment, banks, labor
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., is set Tuesday to release a broad GOP proposal to roll back federal regulations on a wide range of issues including the environment, labor and rules on financial institutions following the 2008 economic crisis.
The aim is to give states more control over of the regulatory process and it is the third installment in Ryan's agenda project, which the speaker launched earlier this year to allow rank-and-file members to help craft a policy blueprint ahead of the election in November.
Ryan plans to continue rolling out the remaining three segments--on tax reform, healthcare and the constitution – ahead of the party's nominating convention in July.
The 57-page document to be released Tuesday compiles a detailed list of bills that GOP members have introduced to dismantle many of President Obama's signature reforms like the Clean Power Plan and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform bill. It also includes a proposal to repeal "all climate-change regulations under the Clean Air Act."
The proposals could provide areas of common ground between House Republicans and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Ryan and Trump have had an uneasy relationship in recent weeks as Republicans in Washington have tried to grapple with how to embrace their party's often unpredictable nominee.
Trump has been critical of Obama's regulatory regime, going so far as to say he would eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency and repeal Dodd-Frank.
Republicans have long argued that Obama's focus on government regulation has hindered economic growth by preventing entrepreneurs and businesses from growing the economy. The GOP outline frames the full slate of reforms as a key element of the party's economic agenda.
"What federal agencies need more than anything else is some humility," the report reads. "At the very least, new and existing federal regulations can be modernized to inflict far less economic pain."
Unlike previous planks of Ryan's agenda, the regulatory portion focuses heavily on existing legislation that has been drafted or passed in the House. By including specific bills and actions the document provides a more specific outline of how a GOP-led Congress could work to dismantle Obama's reforms.
The opportunity to find common ground over policy proposals could be a welcome change for Republicans who have been forced in recent weeks to answer a battery of questions about Trump's statements on Muslim immigrants, racially-charged criticism of a judge of Mexican descent and repeatedly calling Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., "Pocahontas."
The House GOP proposal could also have broad appeal for Republicans in the Senate. A large portion of the document focuses on increasing U.S. energy production by slashing regulations on the coal industry, a pet issue for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. It also includes reducing hurdles for companies looking to expand offshore drilling or tap into resources on federal lands.
Ryan and several House GOP leaders are scheduled to unveil the proposals Tuesday afternoon at an event outside the Department of Labor.
This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Ryan plan would roll back rules on environment, banks, labor."