Democrats’ use of Congressional Review Act puts filibuster debate in new light

Last week, the window closed on the ability of the Democrats in the Senate to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal regulations issued late in the Trump administration. The Democrats in the Senate passed three CRA resolutions in the past four months. One was to eliminate a Trump rollback of emission standards for methane. The second resolution would eliminate the Department of Treasury’s “true lender” rule which made it easier for banks to issue loans with higher interest rates. The final resolution was passed two weeks ago when Senate Democrats voted to repeal an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rule requiring the agency to turn over more information to employers during the process known as “conciliation.” Those bills will likely be passed by the House and signed by President Biden.

Opinion by Stuart Shapiro, The Hill, May 30, 2021