Cigar regulations, transgender bathrooms, and alternative fuels are just a few of the least favorite things on a list put together by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), a member of the House Freedom Caucus. He has catalogued more than 200 rules and regulations, mostly dating from the Obama Era, that conservatives want to deep six as soon as possible.
The rules that Meadows says have been "devastating for working families, businesses, and taxpayers" also include overtime rules, financial services regulations, and environmental restrictions.
“These last eight years, we have seen a disturbing trend of the federal government unnecessarily inserting themselves more and more into the lives of hardworking Americans – and the results have been economically disastrous,” Meadows said. “When the American people spoke on November 8, they provided conservatives with an opportunity to restore order in our government and to remove the out-of-control bureaucratic red tape that so often stunts the growth of otherwise successful Americans."
Meadows said he and his colleagues have been in touch with the Trump transition team and are hoping to talk the incoming administration leaders into rolling back and repealing as many of the regulations as possible during their first 100 days.
"Help is on the way," Meadows vowed.
Must-go list
Other items on the must-go list include:
- Nutrition standards for the school lunch program;
- Food safety rules for seafood;
- Country of origin information for food;
- Student loan forgiveness for students stranded by for-profit school closures;
- Standards for ceiling fan light kits;
- Conservation standards for appliances;
- FDA regulation of tobacco;
- Standards for antiseptic soap;
- Confidentiality of patient medical records;
- Restrictions on sunlamp usage;
- Increases in the minimum wage;
- Environmental impact reviews for projects on federal land;
- FAA rules for drones;
- Office of Global Climate Change at the State Department; and
- Net neutrality rules.
The complete list is available online.
Small but powerful
What is the House Freedom Caucus? It's a small but influential group that pursues a limited-government agenda. The Pew Research Center last year identified 36 conservatives who, through public statements or actions, had identified with the House Freedom Caucus. Most were younger, many were first-termers, and several were Tea Party members.
The group announced its formation in January 2015, saying it would work to advance "an agenda of limited, constitutional government in Congress," according to a news release from Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.)
"The House Freedom Caucus gives a voice to countless Americans who feel that Washington does not represent them. We support open, accountable and limited government, the Constitution and the rule of law, and policies that promote the liberty, safety and prosperity of all Americans," Salmon said.