MEDIA ADVISORY: Public Citizen Goes to Court Thursday to Protect Critical Regulations From Trump’s Reckless Executive Order
August 8, 2017
MEDIA ADVISORY
Public Citizen Goes to Court Thursday to Protect Critical Regulations From Trump’s Reckless Executive Order
Public Citizen Expert Will Argue in Public Citizen v. Trump
WHAT: Argument in a key lawsuit challenging an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that would undercut the nation’s regulatory system.
The lawsuit, Public Citizen v. Trump, was filed in February and asks the court to declare unlawful a Jan. 30 executive order that directs federal agencies to repeal two regulations for every new rule they issue – an order that Public Citizen says violates the U.S. Constitution by requiring agencies to violate the statutes under which they operate.
Under the Jan. 30 executive order, an agency cannot issue a new rule without repealing at least two existing ones and offsetting the costs of the new rule, regardless of the rule’s benefits. The order forces agencies to delay, weaken or forgo new public protections authorized or mandated by Congress to protect health, safety, workers and the environment, across a broad range of topics – from automobile safety, to occupational health, to air pollution, to endangered species.
“No one thinking sensibly about how to set rules for health, safety, the environment and the economy would adopt the Trump Executive Order approach – unless their only goal was to confer enormous benefits on big business,” Public Citizen President Robert Weissman said. “This order is part of the Trump administration’s plan to empower Big Business to poison our water, pollute our air, endanger workers and cheat our economy.”
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Communications Workers of America are co-plaintiffs and co-counsel in the suit. Earthjustice also serves as co-counsel.
WHEN: 10 a.m. EDT Thursday, Aug. 10
WHERE: Courtroom of Judge Randolph Moss, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 333 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
WHO: Allison Zieve, director, Public Citizen Litigation Group
Following the arguments, Public Citizen President Robert Weissman will hold a Facebook live interview outside the courthouse.