President Joe Biden’s administration has ensnared the nation in an unprecedented web of regulatory red tape, as his agencies churn out costly regulations at a record pace. Amid concerns over the possibility of losing the 2024 election, Biden aims to solidify his extensive pro-government agenda by skirting congressional authority.
Recent reports illuminate this aggressive regulatory push. April 2024 saw a staggering 66 significant final rules published, a record for Biden’s tenure, and nearly quintuple the typical monthly average over the past three years, according to George Washington University’s Regulatory Studies Center. This surge hints at the administration’s anticipation of a potential review by Congress, and a belief that former President Donald Trump, known for his deregulation spree, could slash these rules if he returns to office.
The GWU report indicates that should a new president and Congress take the helm, they would have a unique chance to dismantle these regulations during the transitional period. This potential rollback underscores the feverish pace at which Biden’s administration is working.
Adding to this grim outlook, Clyde Wayne Crews of the Competitive Enterprise Institute reported that the Federal Register has already ballooned beyond 41,000 pages. This relentless flood of regulations reflects the administration’s haste to enshrine its policies before Congress can intervene and reverse them through the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
Crews noted a troubling pattern of daily page counts in the Federal Register often exceeding 800, emphasizing that the administration is racing against the clock. With the CRA’s time-bound window for reversing regulations, Biden’s team is pushing these rules into play now to circumvent a potential repeal under a future, more conservative administration.
The pressure to finalize these regulations is palpable, with Crews highlighting the difficulty in overturning rules via the CRA, given its historical inefficiency. Despite Biden’s liberal use of veto power to protect his regulations, a new conservative administration and Congress from 2025 could still revoke many unfinished rules if they are not cemented early enough this year.
In a strategic maneuver to protect his agenda, Biden’s push for these regulations signals a profound shift toward an expansionist government, one that liberty-minded Americans should view with heightened vigilance. This surge betrays the administration’s desperation and determination to lock in sweeping reforms before a potential change in power, making it crucial for conservative voices to remain alert to these developments.
