Tell Your Representatives: Use the CRA to Revoke Trump-State Rules & Regulations!
Call BOTH of your Senators.
Call ONE of the Representatives. Note: only one of these Congressmembers represents you. Find out which one here.
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Call Script
SHORT VERSION FOR CALLING IN:
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) gives Congress 60 legislative-days to overturn racist, destructive, and corrupt rules & regulations promulgated by the Trump regime during its final days in power. The window of opportunity for using the CRA is about to close. I am asking you to use your power under the CRA to revoke these four rules to protect economic justice, civil rights, our environment and our government’s commitment to the First Amendment.
2020-24134 The “fake lender” rule finalized by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
2020-27084 DOJ, USAID, DHS-- Bolstering the Position of Faith-Based Organizations in Government Grants
2020-26379 EPA -- Reverses Obama-era Decision to Require Polluters to Ensure Cleanup Funds
2020-24736 US Agency for Global Media -- Repealing Protections for Editorial Independence at Federal News Outlets Like Voice of America
FULL VERSION FOR EMAIL AND RESISTBOT
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) gives Congress 60 legislative-days to overturn racist, destructive, corrupt rules & regulations promulgated by the Trump regime during its final days in power. I know there is more important legislation that you need to pass, but the CRA gives you the power to revoke some of the worst of the Trump administration’s atrocious new rules and protect the public interest. Not to use a valuable tool like the CRA could be seen as a political statement-of-silence that equals assent to autocratic misrule. Since the window of opportunity for using the CRA to revoke Trump regulations is about to close, I urge you to initiate CRA action against:
The fake lender OCC rule. This rule allows banks (lenders) to evade rate caps. It is a predatory lending practice which needs to be revoked. More information can be found here (https://www.nclc.org/images/pdf/high_cost_small_loans/OCC-Fake-Lender-2-Pager.pdf )
Bolstering the Position of Faith Based Organizations. Multiple agencies implemented an executive order to strengthen the ability of religious organizations to compete for federal grants. The rule also shields the organizations from any funding conditions that could conflict with their religious practices. The Department of Health and Human Services revised its grant rules to roll back some Obama-era changes and insulate religious groups from nondiscrimination requirements. Democrats say the new rule will undermine the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities and women.
EPA rule reversing Obama era decision to require polluters to ensure clean up funds. The rule would allow the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions only from industries that are responsible for more than 3% of national greenhouse gas emissions. Power plants would still be regulated, but other major polluters including steel mills, incinerators and industrial boilers would be exempt.
US Agency for Global Media. After a year of turmoil as a newly appointed CEO purged dissenters and investigated staff for alleged anti-Trump bias, the U.S. Agency for Global Media rolled back a recently passed rule that had created an editorial "firewall" to protect the integrity and objectivity of its journalists. The repeal went into effect immediately. One of the founding principles of our country is freedom of the press, so this repeal should not be allowed to stand.
Background
The processes for creating, amending, and overturning federal rules and regulations are complex, arcane, and lengthy. To oversimplify, there are four possible ways to overturn or revoke Trump regime rules and regulations:
Presidential executive action. President Biden has issued executive orders suspending or freezing some Trump rules, and he has ordered executive branch departments and agencies to begin a review process.
Congressional Review Act (CRA). Under the CRA, Congress has a 60-day window of opportunity to revoke a recently finalized rule or regulation. That process needs to commence forthwith.
Amend existing or issue new rules or regulations. The various federal departments and agencies must undertake the long, complicated process of revoking, amending, or creating rules and regulations.
Enactment of new law. Congress and the president must enact new laws that revoke, amend, or create new rules, regulations, and policies.
These different tracks can only be applied to different rule subsets, some of which overlap and some of which do not. So as a practical matter, to undo the damage of the Trump regime, we need to press for action on all four fronts: executive action, CRA, agency action, and new legislation.
Additional References
Tracking the Trump Administration’s “Midnight Regulations” ~ ProPublica, Feb 8, 2021
First 100: Still No Sign of the Congressional Review Act ~ The American Prospect, March 22, 2021
Attorney General Becerra Challenges OCC Rule That Facilitates Predatory Lending Schemes ~ State of California Department of Justice, January 5, 2021