Regulatory Action Center Review - June 5, 2019

Welcome to FreedomWorks Foundation’s ninth regulatory review of 2019! 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 two weeks for the next edition.

1) Video of the Week: Left-leaning politicians of the 1970s understood that red tape punishes consumers and protects big business. The leading deregulator of that era was none other than Jimmy Carter. This videos talks about the forgotten time when Democrats actually liked deregulation:

2) Mulvaney Tightens Grip on Labor Chief After Trump Allies Grumble: “President Donald Trump‘s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, has seized power over the Labor Department’s rulemaking process out of frustration with the pace of deregulation under Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, according to current and former department officials and other people who communicate with the administration.” https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/mulvaney-tightens-grip-on-labor-chief-after-trump-allies-grumble?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=lawdesk&campaign=DEA47428-8155-11E9-9C79-8690EBB2EA9A 3) Oral Arguments for Media Ownership Case Set for June: “The case between the Prometheus Radio Project and the FCC over the proposed deregulation of newspaper-broadcast cross ownership rules will continue in June, as oral arguments in the U.S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit have been scheduled for June 11 at 1 p.m.” https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/oral-arguments-for-media-ownership-case-set-for-june

4) Four Reasons the Endangered Species Act Desperately Needs Reform: “Even though the ESA has been the law of the land for almost half a century, its record of recovering species is unimpressive. While there are over 1,660 domestic species now on the list, only 40 have been removed on the grounds that they have recovered. Unfortunately, even this small number is a gross exaggeration. About half of these species did not really recover, but were found to be more numerous or widespread than originally believed, faced overestimated threats, or were taxonomically invalid. The ESA has proven to be like a hospital where patients are admitted but don’t get discharged.” https://cei.org/blog/four-reasons-endangered-species-act-desperately-needs-reform

5) Department of Energy Awards $10.6M for Nuclear Energy Projects: “‘There are a lot of U.S. companies working on technologies to make the next generation of nuclear reactors safer and highly competitive, and private-public partnerships will be key to accomplishing this goal,’ U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said. ‘The Trump Administration is committed to reviving and revitalizing the U.S. nuclear industry, and these partnerships are needed to help successfully develop innovative domestic nuclear technologies.’” https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/19606-department-of-energy-awards-10-6m-for-nuclear-energy-projects/

6) The Real Issues in Tech Antitrust – Where’s the Harm?: “No matter one’s opinions on antitrust and big business, arguing that these companies’ primary impact on our economy and lives has been anything but positive and even revolutionary is difficult. In fact to justify restrictions with teeth on the tech giants, policymakers would have to revolutionize U.S. antitrust itself, albeit in a far less positive way.” https://www.aier.org/article/real-issue-tech-antitrust-wheres-harm

7) Proposed Easing of Obama-era Labor Rules Yet Another Good Move by the Trump Administration: “The Trump Administration’s effort to reduce growth killing regulations gets far less coverage than it deserves. So, if you’re a franchised business owner — or hold one of the 7.6 million jobs they create — the Department of Labor’s (DOL) recently proposed ‘joint employer’ rule may help you more than you realize.” https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2019/06/03/proposed_easing_of_obama-era_labor_rules_yet_another_good_move_by_trump_administration_111210.html