Regulatory Action Center Review - November 18, 2020

Welcome to this week’s Regulatory Action Center (RAC) Review! RAC proudly keeps you up to date on what we’re up to and what we’re keeping our eyes on here in the swamp. We offer resources for you to get involved in the rulemaking process to hold unelected bureaucrats accountable and occasionally offer praise in the event they have a good impulse. We will also highlight the incredible work our activists have done to advance the principles of smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, personal liberty, and the rule of law. For more ways to get involved and stay informed, check the links at the bottom of this post.

RACtivists by the Numbers

This year, FreedomWorks Foundation’s RACtivists submitted 2,074 comments in support of changes that eased the regulatory burden placed on schools by the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. All together, RACtivist comments made up over 71 percent of all the comments submitted to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

Four Things to Know

1) Biden’s Climate Agenda at a Glance

Since early on in the campaign, Biden and the Democrats have made it clear that climate change is going to be at the very top of the agenda. Based on his own statements, and reports released by his transition team, it appears very likely that a President Joe Biden will immediately take swift action upon inauguration. Among other things, Biden has already promised to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and reimpose the Clean Power Plan on day one in office. This agenda would be a radical frameshift for our national policy, resulting in higher energy costs for consumers nationwide.

More resources on this:

Read Climate 21’s report: HERE

Read about the expected “flurry of executive orders:” HERE

2) Biden’s Adviser Picks Point to Stronger Financial Regulations

Joe Biden’s financial regulatory teams have been stacked with proponents of strong financial regulations, indicating that a Biden administration is looking towards reimposing burdensome financial regulations. According to the New York Times, “Among those selected for the financial regulatory transition teams are Gary Gensler, who led the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during the Obama administration…Leandra English, a former deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Dennis Kelleher, a co-founder of Better Markets.” Given the expected partisan gridlock in Congress, Biden is expected to use his unilateral executive authority to strictly rewrite our financial rules.

More resources on this:

Read more about Biden’s transition team: HERE

Read more about the probable effects of Biden’s financial regulatory agenda: HERE

3) President Trump to Move Forward with Most Favored Nation Proposal

Following months of fierce debate and negotiation, it appears that the Trump administration is going to impose price controls on pharmaceuticals after all. Against fierce opposition from the industry, it appears that the Department of Health and Human Services will move forward with a final rule to implement their “most favored nation” proposal. This rule would force Medicare to buy pharmaceuticals at the same price as the lowest price among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). By indexing the price of pharmaceuticals to countries like the United Kingdom that have a single-payer healthcare system, the Trump administration will be taking us one step closer to socialized healthcare in America.

More resources on this:

Read EO 13948: HERE

Read Adam Brandon’s opinion piece on the “most favored nation” proposal in RealClearMarkets: HERE

4) Pentagon to cut troop levels to 2,500 in Iraq, Afghanistan

This Tuesday, Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller announced that the Pentagon is planning to reduce troop levels from 4,500 to 2,500 in Afghanistan, and from about 3,000 to 2,500 in Iraq. This announcement is just the latest step by the Trump administration to fulfill their promise to end our endless wars in the Middle East. In spite of the criticism from hawks on both sides of the aisle, Trump’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien told reporters that “[by] May, it is President Trump’s hope that they will all come home safely and in their entirety.” Although future administrations could order troop levels to be increased, this final push to further accelerate the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan is another step in the right direction.

More resources on this:

Read more on the planned troop withdrawal: HERE

RAC Resources

You can always find all RAC content (blogs, updates, press releases, and comment campaigns) HERE.

You can always sign up to become an elite RACtivist, if you haven’t already, HERE.