Obama Rolls Out Regulatory Reforms, Urges Action on Existing Burdensome Rules

President Barack Obama (D) has signed an executive order establishing principles for agencies to follow in adopting regulations addressing such matters as food safety, toxic chemicals, labor, energy, and the environment. The order also requires a review of existing regulations to eliminate or revise those “that may be outmoded, ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome.”

A memorandum to agency heads accompanying the order affirms the administration’s commitment “to eliminating excessive and unjustified burdens on small businesses, and to ensuring that regulations are designed with careful consideration of their effects, including their cumulative effects.” A second memorandum calls for federal agencies to develop plans to make their regulatory compliance and enforcement activities “accessible, downloadable, and searchable online.” See Office of White House Press Secretary News Release, January 18, 2011.