Sheila Jackson Lee: “This legislation is opposed by the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards. I would like to dwell on this question of water…”

“This legislation is opposed by the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards. I would like to dwell on this question of water and lead coming out of water since many of us were here during the Flint incidents, and we also know what goes on in our own congressional districts. Let's not stop children from living. Let's not stop the lifesaving regulatory process. Let's oppose H.R. 357. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 357, The Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act. H.R. 357 would require any agency rule promulgated under the Administrative Procedure Act's notice and comment process to be ``initiated'' and signed by someone who was appointed to their position by the President and confirmed by the Senate, with limited exceptions for national security and public safety. Simply put, this anti-regulatory bill is an attempt to codify bad federal policy issued during the Trump Administration that was later repealed by President Biden, and it would add unnecessary ambiguity and delay in the rule making process from beginning to end. While my Republican colleagues will tell you that this is just about transparency and accountability, it is not. This is about shutting down the regulatory process. By requiring that any rulemaking be initiated and signed by a presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed official, this bill could grind the regulatory process to a halt during long appointment periods or presidential transitions.…”