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The SCRUB Act

OUR POSITION: CSS opposes the bill and urges lawmakers to vote against it.

Capitol hillThe Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act would establish a new “regulatory review” commission funded at taxpayer expense, charged with the identifying duplicative, redundant or so-called “obsolete” regulations to repeal. It would do nothing to identify the numerous gaps, shortfalls and outdated regulatory standards that leave the public vulnerable to the next public health tragedy.

This commission would only consider the costs to affected industries while ignoring the benefits of oversight. The commission’s goal to achieve a 15 percent reduction in the cumulative cost of regulations would result in the repeal of critical health, safety and environmental safeguards — even when the benefits of these rules are significant, appreciated by the public and far outweigh the costs.

In addition, the bill would create a “cut-go” system that requires any agency issuing a new regulation to remove an existing regulation of equal or greater cost. If the science finds that a substance widely used in commerce is harmful to infants, regulators would have to find some other protection to cut before protecting young children. The bill would make it impossible for agencies to bypass “cut-go” procedures, no matter how urgent the circumstances might be.

 


 

CSS Resources

CSS Opposes the SCRUB Act (H.R. 998)
Letter to Members: February 27, 2017

CSS Urges a No Vote on Murphy Amendment 11 to H.R. 1155
Letter to Members: January 6, 2015

Congress Kicks Off New Year With Same Old Deregulatory Agenda
Press Release: January 5, 2016

CSS Opposes the SCRUB ACT of 2015 (H.R. 1155)
Letter to Members: January 5, 2016

Regulatory Budgeting Puts Public Health and Safety Protections on the Chopping Block
Fact Sheet: December 9, 2015

CSS Opposes the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015, H.R. 1155
Letter to Members: March 20, 2015

CSS Opposes the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2014
Letter to Members: June 17, 2014

The SCRUB Act: Another Anti-Regulatory Bill Targets Health, Safety, and Environmental Protections
Center for Effective Government: February 18, 2014

CSS Opposes the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2014
Letter to Members: February 11, 2014

SCRUB Act Would Rub Out Health and Safety Standards
Natural Resources Defense Council: February 11, 2014

NRDC Opposes the SCRUB Act
Natural Resources Defense Council: February 11, 2014

Analysis of the SCRUB Act of 2014
Center for Progressive Reform: January 30, 2014

 


 

Resources from Members and Allies

House Tees Up VW Bailout and Other Attacks on Public Protections, Consumer Rights
U.S. PIRG: January 6, 2016

Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 1155
White House: January 5, 2016

CPR Opposes the SCRUB Act (H.R. 1155)
Center for Progressive Reform: December 18, 2015

More Fun Than Escaped Llamas: House GOP to Hold Yet Another Anti-Regulatory Hearing
Center for Progressive Reform: February 27, 2015

 


 

Press Coverage

Trump’s Obsession With Cutting Regulations Will Make America Sick
The Nation: March 15, 2017

Pass a Regulation, Repeal Another: House Approves Provision Tied to Koch Industries
DeSmog Blog: January 6, 2017

House Passes Regulatory Reform Bills
The Hill: January 7, 2016

White House Threatens to Veto Reg Reform Bills
The Hill: January 6, 2016