By Roman Buhler
In 2016 the Republican Party National Platform and Donald J. Trump endorsed the proposed “Regulation Freedom Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution to permanently require that major new federal regulations be approved by Congress.
To emphasize the GOP’s continued commitment to permanently dismantling the administrative state, the 2024 National Party Platform should include the same language endorsing the “Regulation Freedom Amendment.”
Unanimously endorsed by the RNC, Resolutions passed by 29 State Legislative Chambers, former Reagan Attorney General Ed Meese, and many other conservatives, the “Regulation Freedom Amendment” simply states:
“Whenever one quarter of the Members of the U.S. House or the U.S. Senate transmit to the President their written declaration of opposition to a proposed federal regulation, it shall require a majority vote of the House and Senate to adopt that regulation.”
The simple, basic principle is that a majority of the Minority Party in the House or Senate, always 25% of a legislative body, should have the right to demand a vote on a regulation, no matter how much bureaucrats say it will cost, before it goes into effect.
A law with this requirement could easily be repealed by the left’s next trifecta majority willing to dispense with the Senate filibuster.
Court rulings that partially curb the authority of bureaucrats still require expensive lawsuits to enforce and leave intact the basic authority to dictate rules for regulators to abuse.
Only a Constitutional Amendment can permanently end the power of unelected bureaucrats to rule, threaten, and intimidate by regulatory decree.
While enacting a Constitutional Amendment will be difficult, framing the issue for voters in simple, Constitutional terms highlights the hypocrisy of Democrats who claim to believe in “democracy” but actually prefer “bureaucracy.”
It is easy for Republicans to challenge Democrats to answer a simple question:
“Should major new federal regulations be dictated by unelected Washington bureaucrats, or should they be approved be elected representatives of the people?”
While Democrats hypocritically accuse Republicans of wanting a “dictator,” Democrats’ demonstrated preference for preserving the dictatorial power of the administrative state reveals the Democrats’ true authoritarian intentions.
Republicans should not be satisfied with temporarily repealing a few regulations, that could be reimposed by the left’s next Administration.
To appeal to voters who want real change that creates economic growth and new jobs, permanently drains the swamp and takes power out or Washington, Republicans should keep their language endorsing the “Regulation Freedom Amendment” in the 2024 National Party Platform.
Roman Buhler is the Director of the Madison Coalition.
