On Capitol Hill, House Republicans are pushing for legislation that would require congressional approval of any major rule adopted by federal agencies. 

What You Need To Know

  • On Capitol Hill House Republicans are pushing for legislation to require congressional approval of any 'major rule' adopted by federal agencies

  • The legislation would require both chambers of Congress to pass a joint resolution for major rules issued by federal agencies to go into effect

  • Republicans said the legislation will rein in government spending and regulation

The legislation would require both chambers of Congress to pass a joint resolution for major rules issued by federal agencies to go into effect. The bill defines​ a major rule, in part, as anything put forward by the executive branch that would have "an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more."

Republicans said the legislation will rein in government spending and regulation. 

"Regulations during the first two years of this administration have cost our economy almost $309 billion," said Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, the House Republican Whip.

​Florida Republican Rep. Kat Cammack, the lead sponsor of the bill in the House, said that this concept isn't new for Florida – the state has similar legislation on a smaller scale. 

"Florida, for example, requires legislative approval of all rules that adversely impact the economy or increase regulatory costs of at least $1 million over five years," Cammack told Spectrum News.

The bill has 179 Republican co-sponsors in the House, including Emmer, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. The bill does not currently have any Democratic co-sponsors. 

Cammack said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will introduce a companion bill in the Senate, and urged her Democratic colleagues to consider the measure. 

"Democrats ought to be taking a serious look at this because if they are for accountability, if they're for transparency, and they are for the Constitution of which they took an oath to, they would sign on to this bill and vote for this bill because it returns that power back to Congress where it was originally intended."

Cammack sponsored a similar bill​ during the previous Congress, which didn't make it to the House floor when Democrats controlled the House. 

Cammack told Spectrum News that there's no timeline yet for when the current bill could be bought up for a vote. It's unclear if it would pass the Democratic-controlled Senate.