Media Contact - Alexei Woltornist (202)225-6205
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) introduced the Article One Restoration Resolution, H.Res. 330. The resolution would advance the House GOP’s BetterWay agenda by requiring a review of statutes that give the Executive Branch inappropriate lawmaking authority. The last Administration took advantage of its real and perceived discretion to increase taxes, stretch the Clean Water Act to enact WOTUS, undermine welfare work requirements, and attempt to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.
The Article One Restoration Resolution would require the House’s sixteen major legislating committees to recommend “changes in those laws [under their jurisdiction] sufficient to eliminate excessive Executive Branch discretion in the application of those laws.” Those recommendations would be sent to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which would be responsible for reporting the recommendations to the full House for consideration.
“Our Founders intended for the laws of this country to be written by those who are accountable to the voters. Unfortunately, for too long Congress neglected the hard work of legislating, and instead passed vague laws that give way too much authority to unaccountable bureaucrats. That must stop, ” said Davidson. “We owe it to the American people that the laws we write are clear, transparent, and Constitutionally limited.”
Like the REINS Act (Collins, R-GA), the USA Act (McMorris Rodgers, R-WA), and similar legislation to reclaim Congressional authority, the Article One Restoration Resolution seeks to advance long-standing conservative, constitutional principles. The combination of vague and out-of-date statutes, along with the Supreme Court’s harmful “Chevron Deference” doctrine, have disrupted the balance of power in favor of unelected bureaucrats and has allowed Congress to avoid its constitutional duty to write the laws. In January, the House Republican Conference adopted “Policy Statements on Article I Powers,” which states:
“It is the policy of the Republican Conference that all Members of the Republican Conference shall, to the maximum extent practicable, draft legislation so as to preserve Congress’ authorities under Article I of the Constitution. It is further the policy of the Republican Conference that authorizing committees shall...limit agency discretion in implementing statutes and rulemaking through more effective drafting practices for bills...so as to limit executive overreach.”