Midnight Rules Relief Act
House Passes Bill to Let Congress Cancel Multiple Year-End Regulations with a Single Vote
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
212–208
Key Points
- This bill changes how Congress can cancel rules made by government agencies. Right now, if Congress wants to stop a new regulation, they usually have to vote on each one separately. This bill would let them bundle many rules together and cancel them all with just one vote.
- The bill specifically targets what are known as "midnight rules." These are regulations that government agencies finish and put into place during the very last year of a president's four-year term.
- This matters because it makes it much faster and easier for a new Congress to wipe away many policies from the previous administration all at once. It saves time by avoiding separate debates and votes for every single rule.
- If this becomes law, it could lead to large-scale changes in federal policy very quickly after a new president takes office. Congress could strike down dozens of environmental, labor, or financial rules in a single afternoon.
Impact Analysis
Broader Impacts
Milestones
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 212 - 208 (Roll no. 41). (text: CR H654)
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 212 - 208 (Roll no. 41). (text: CR H654)
The House of Representatives voted to approve this bill. It now goes to the Senate.
On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 205 - 213 (Roll no. 40).
Vote Results
2 votesOn Motion to Recommit
Related News
3 articlesHouse OKs bill allowing mass overturn of Biden regulations
The House approved H.R. 77, the 'Midnight Rules Relief Act,' in a 212-208 vote. The measure would allow lawmakers to roll back multiple federal regulations in one Congressional Review Act resolution, specifically targeting rules finalized during the final year of a president's term.
House Narrowly Passes Midnight Rules Relief Act
The House voted 212-208 to pass a bill allowing Congress to review multiple Congressional Review Act eligible final rules in a single joint resolution. The act could potentially allow Republicans to overturn up to 1,400 regulations finalized in the final months of the Biden administration.
House to vote again on bill targeting 'midnight rules'
H.R. 77 would allow lawmakers to roll back numerous federal rules under one resolution if submitted during the last 60 legislative days of a president's term. An earlier version passed the House in December 2024 but was not taken up by the Senate.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Midnight Rules Relief Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(12)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.