The Congressional Review Act's big role in enacting Trump’s agenda

On the Ballot · Jan 16, 2025 · 17m

On this episode: When the Congressional Review Act was signed into law in 1996 by Bill Clinton, it gave Congress a way to hit pause on federal agency rules they believe have gone too far or otherwise aren’t achieving the desired effect.

Here’s how it works: Congress gets a window of time to review any new rule, where both chambers have a chance to pass what’s called a ‘joint resolution of disapproval.’ Then—if the president signs off—that rule is overturned. And maybe the most interesting part of the process is that the agency whose rule has been overturned can’t issue a similar rule again in…