The Regulatory Review for February 10 - February 28, 2018

Welcome to FreedomWorks Foundation’s fourth regulatory review! Our Regulatory Action Center proudly updates you with our favorite tidbits from the swamp. We want to smash barriers between bureaucracy and the American people by delivering regulatory news straight to FreedomWorks activists. Check back in on Friday, March 9th, for the next edition.

Here’s what we’re highlighting this week:

1) Video of the Week: This past week, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the three Republican Commissioners of the FCC spoke about the measures they are taking to promote the free market and unleash innovation for future generations. In the discussion, Commissioners Pai, O’Rielly, and Carr explained how they are working to bridge the digital divide and roll back burdensome regulations for consumers.

2) Statistic of the week: The FDA approved a record 763 generic drugs in 2017, improving over 2016’s totals by 14%. This increase comes from a renewed focus on lowering prices through generics approvals under the Trump administration and scaling back regulatory burdens.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/fda-reduces-regulations-approves-record-number-of-new-generics/article/2649698

3) Restoring Internet Freedom Order Becomes Official: Last week, the FCC officially published the Restoring Internet Freedom Order. The order repeals the Commission’s previous decision to classify Internet Service Providers (ISP) as common carriers and regulate them heavily under Title II of the Communications Act.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/02/22/the-fccs-net-neutrality-rules-will-die-on-april-23-heres-what-happens-now/?utm_term=.e8a1ab17d25c

4) Economists and the Emergence of Antitrust: Thomas J. DiLorenzo, a professor of economics at the University of Loyola Maryland, discusses the history of antitrust regulations in America, and how they don’t actually promote competition, but a singular version of the market that bureaucrats and politicians deem to be acceptable.

https://mises.org/wire/economists-and-emergence-antitrust

5) Financial Regulation Executive Order a Step in the Right Direction: The Vice President of Strategy, Iain Murray, elaborates on why President Trump’s executive order on financial regulations will help make sure the marketplace runs more smoothly and works to benefit consumers.

https://cei.org/blog/financial-regulation-executive-order-step-right-direction

6) The Weaponization of the EPA Is Over: In an exclusive interview with the Editor in Chief of the Daily Signal, Rob Bluey, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt describes how the EPA will be different under his leadership.

http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/25/weaponization-epa-exclusive-interview-scott-pruitt/

7) Housing Regulations Put Walkability Out of Reach: A new study by Emily Hamilton and Eli Dourado shows that housing regulations, such as height limits, or historic preservation rules deter home buyers from being able to purchase homes in neighborhoods that are more conveniently located.

https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2018/02/26/housing_regulations_put_walkability_out_of_reach_110524.html

8) FCC Chairman Pai Announces 5G Spectrum Auctions: The FCC will auction 24GHz and 28GHz spectrum bands for 5G deployment if Congress approves its plan by mid-May. This is the latest of Chairman Pai’s moves towards facilitating faster internet.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wireless-auction/u-s-telecom-agency-plans-new-spectrum-auction-to-speed-5g-networks-idUSKCN1GA2KJ

9) President Trump Could Eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: A conservative appointee to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) could end government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) in the mortgage industry with administrative law tweaks. According to the American Enterprise Institute, lowering limits on GSE eligible home loans could make Fannie and Freddie obsolete. Some experts partly blame GSE mortgage subsidies for causing the 2008 financial crisis.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/conservatives-release-blueprint-for-trump-to-eliminate-fannie-mae-freddie-mac/article/2650083