With President Trump's administration pushing aggressive cuts to the federal bureaucracy and overturning established policies, Republican members of Congress have initiated a systematic effort to repeal Biden-era regulations. They are utilizing a rarely invoked legislative mechanism to gradually dismantle rules they argue hinder businesses and consumers.
Recently, the Republican caucus has expedited a series of legislative measures aimed at rescinding regulations spanning diverse issues, from controlling emissions of hazardous pollutants to energy standards for commercial refrigeration units and water heating systems.
Their primary tool is the 1996 Congressional Review Act (CRA), which empowers Congress to overturn recently enacted federal regulations with a simple majority vote in both chambers. This approach was notably employed during the early Trump administration and is being leveraged again as Republicans seek to capitalize on their unified control of the House, Senate, and White House.
This time, however, Republicans are pushing the boundaries of the CRA, potentially broadening its application and challenging the Senate filibuster rule, which normally requires a 60-vote threshold to advance significant legislation.
Since disapproval resolutions under the CRA require only a majority vote, they represent one of the few legislative avenues that can bypass the filibuster in the Senate. This enables Republicans to overcome partisan stalemates that often stall major policy changes.
