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Public Protection Devastation Count: Trump Repeals 13 Public Protections Using the Congressional Review Act

April 13, 2017

Public Protection Devastation Count: Trump Repeals 13 Public Protections Using the Congressional Review Act

Trump Today Repealed Women’s Health Protection and City Retirement Savings Plan Rules

The public protection devastation count is up to a baker’s dozen.

By signing into law resolutions repealing women’s health care protections and city retirement savings plan rules, President Donald Trump has now repealed 13 public protections using the Congressional Review Act (CRA). He also is doing the bidding of corporate interests intent on dismantling the strong safeguards created by the Obama administration.

Republicans have been using the CRA to reward the corporate and ideological special interests that funded their campaigns. It’s an escalation of the corrupt insider-dealing that Trump campaigned against.

Just last week, Marc Short, White House legislative affairs director, and Sean Spicer, White House press secretary, demanded greater press attention be given to Trump’s CRA-enabled deregulation efforts. However, Trump chose to carry out today’s repeals in a private ceremony away from journalists.

The CRA allows Congress – by majority vote in both chambers, with limited debate, no possibility of a filibuster and the president’s signature – to override recently issued public protections. Trump and Republicans in Congress have used the CRA at an unprecedented rate, rolling back safeguards that are popular with the public but opposed by big corporations.

Although the deadline for introducing new CRA resolutions targeting Obama-era regulations elapsed on March 30, Congress has until May 10 to vote on the resolutions that already have been introduced. Most of the remaining resolutions target clean air measures, oil and chemical safeguards, and wildlife protections.

Visit RulesAtRisk.org for the latest news and updates about the CRA.