March 2025

It has been an eventful month in regulation. Continuing his executive order signing spree, President Trump added one that brings independent regulatory agencies more directly under the president’s control and another providing more detail on the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) deregulatory initiative. These may be his most consequential regulatory orders yet. 

We have been fortunate to have on our team for the past four years recent Trachtenberg MPP graduate Dylan Desjardins (2022)! Dylan made many valuable contributions to the work of the Regulatory Studies Center, and we congratulate him on his new public service career and role in policy analysis. Read More >

Finn Dobkin is a Senior Policy Analyst at the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center and a PhD candidate in Public Finance. His research interests include public participation and litigation in the environmental permitting process; state responses to federal environmental regulation, and coastal and air resource management. Read More >

The GW Regulatory Studies Center updated its Congressional Review Act (CRA) Window Exploratory Dashboard. It now tracks resolutions for disapproval (RDs) introduced by the 119th Congress targeting the rules published within the CRA window. Read More >

Professor and Senior Scholar Susan Dudley joined Richard Morrison, host of the Free the Economy podcast, for a discussion on about federal regulation, Trump’s executive orders, what to expect from Elon Musk and DOGE, and the potential legal challenges ahead. Read More >

February 19, 2025
Commentary by Zhoudan (Zoey) Xie

The GW Regulatory Studies Center updated its Reg Stats database with rulemaking data for President Biden’s last year in office. With the latest data and charts, this commentary reviews several notable rulemaking patterns from Biden’s last year and compares them with those of previous administrations. Read More >

February 11, 2025
Regulatory Insight by Sarah Hay

Members of the 118th Congress introduced 208 resolutions of disapproval (RDs) targeting 122 unique regulations, using their authority from the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The targeted regulations cover a variety of policy issues, from Endangered Species Act designations, to Medicare and Medicaid regulations, to guidance documents governing the treatment of cryptocurrency. Read More >

February 3, 2025
Susan Dudley for Forbes

Trump’s latest regulatory executive order includes a pause to all rulemakings in progress, a delay of effective dates, and rescinds Biden’s guidance to agencies for conducting regulatory impact analysis.
Read More > | Listen to Podcast

January 30, 2025
Richard J. Pierce for The Regulatory Review

Legal questions raised in the first weeks of the Trump Administration may require the Supreme Court to make difficult decisions quickly. Read More >

January 28, 2025
Susan Dudley for Forbes

The pace of Trump’s first week of regulatory actions was unprecedented. Susan Dudley provides a rundown. Read More >

January 23, 2025
Public interest comment by Finn Dobkin

A comment on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed rule designating critical habitat for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. Read More >

2024 Regulatory Year in Review

January 15, 2025
Commentary by Zhoudan (Zoey) Xie, Sarah Hay, Henry Hirsch & Finn Dobkin

As the final year of the Biden administration, 2024 was filled with actions concluding the administration’s multi-year efforts to reverse previous Trump-era regulations, as well as “midnight” regulations that will be subject to congressional review under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) after Donald Trump returns to the White House. Read More > | Listen to Podcast

Digesting the Federal Government’s Annual Report on the Benefits and Costs of Federal Regulations

Commentary by Dylan Desjardins
January 6, 2025

OMB’s draft annual report shows that federal regulations measured in FY2023 brought the nation an estimated $48 to $79 billion in benefits at an estimated cost of $15 to $19 billion.
Read More >

Implications of Recent Supreme Court Decisions for Agency Decision-Making. April 7-8, Workshop of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. 

Ag & Food Policy Summit, March 17. Agri-Pulse summit features a panel discussion with Roger Nober: “How innovation and new technology can boost animal productivity, address disease outbreaks.” National Press Club, Washington, DC. 

Regulatory Policy & Practice Seminar, March 13, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. Capitol Visitor Center, Washington, DC. 

Regulatory Fellows Program, USDA-AmCham Dubai: January 29, 2025. Seminar for visiting food safety officials from Gulf states, George Washington University campus. 

Sarah Hay was cited in The Hill: ‘Review’ Time: Congress Looks to its Own Regulatory Veto Process (March 6, 2025).

Roger Nober was quoted on The National Desk: Trump Pushes for a US Crypto Reserve; What Would that Provide for America? (March 4, 2025).

Steven Balla was quoted in MedPage Today: New HHS Rule Wipes Out Some Public Comment on Rulemaking (March 3, 2025).

Roger Nober was quoted in MSNBC: Why the Supreme Court Could be Key to Trump’s Attempted Destruction of Government (February 27, 2025).

Roger Nober was quoted on PBS News: 5 Facts About the Federal Workforce that May Surprise You (February 27, 2025).

Roger Nober was quoted in CS Monitor: DOGE Administrator is Named – and it’s Not Musk. How this ‘Department’ Works. (February 26, 2025).

Roger Nober was quoted in The Detroit News: Trump's Regulatory Rollback Presents Automakers With a Choice on EVs (February 21, 2025).

Susan Dudley was quoted in Federal News Network: Trump Injects DOGE Into Agency Regulatory Decisions (February 21, 2025).

Roger Nober was interviewed on SVT1 (Sweden): Reactions to Trump's Efforts to Remake US Government Agencies, Shrink Federal Workforce (February 20, 2025).

Roger Nober was quoted in the Associated Press: Trump Seeks Greater Control of Independent Regulators With His New Executive Order (February 19, 2025).

Susan Dudley and Steven Balla were cited in The Regulatory Review: International Organizations Can Help DOGE Deregulate (February 17, 2025).

Steven Balla was quoted in National Law Review: GOP Lawmakers Ramp Up Efforts to Overturn Biden Rules Via Review Act (February 14, 2025).

Susan Dudley was quoted in Modern Healthcare: CMS May Evade Trump's Sweeping Deregulation Order (February 14, 2025).

Steven Balla was quoted in Al Jazeera: Trump’s Assault on USAID Leaves China Soft Power Opening in Southeast Asia (February 13, 2025). 

RegStats data cited by The Center Square: Derek Schmidt Raises Concerns Over Regulatory Expansion (February 12, 2025).

RegStats data cited by the Colorado Springs Gazette: House Passes Bill Targeting Biden ‘Midnight Rules’ (February 12, 2025).

Emily Hammond was quoted in the Washington Post: Here’s Who’s Losing Out as Trump Freezes the Inflation Reduction Act (February 8, 2025).

Sarah Hay was quoted in Science: Congress Could Soon Erase Biden Rules on Archaeology, Climate, and the Environment (February 7, 2025).

Roger Nober was quoted in DW News: Legal Battles Ensue as Musk’s DOGE Pushes Government Cuts (February 7, 2025).

Steven Balla was quoted by Voice of America News: Though China Might Aim to Fill Aid Void Left by USAID, its Own Challenges Could Limit it (February 6, 2025).

Kathryn Newcomer was quoted on ABC News: Inspector General Vacancies After Trump Firings Draw Questions About Agency Oversight (February 6, 2025).

Aram Gavoor was quoted in the New York Times: Trump’s Attempt to Freeze Grant Funding Leaves Nonprofits Reeling (February 4, 2025).

Susan Dudley was quoted in E&E News: Trump’s 10-for-1 Regs Order Jettisons Rulemaking Revamp (February 3, 2025).

RSC data was cited by Reuters: Unsung Rebels Fend Off US Policy Whiplash (January 31, 2025).

GW Law's Emily Hammond and RSC's Susan Dudley were quoted in Bloomberg Law: Congress, Legal Bids Jockey to Undo Biden Heater Efficiency Rule (January 30, 2025). 

Roger Nober was quoted in the National Law Journal: Crypto Industry Eyes Legislation to Clarify Regulatory Framework (January 29, 2025).

Sarah Hay was interviewed on Marketplace: How a Rarely Used Congressional Rule Could Help Republicans Roll Back Biden-era Regulations (January 28, 2025).

Steven Balla was quoted in MedPage Today: Here's What RFK Jr. Can and Can't Do if Confirmed as HHS Chief (January 28, 2025).

Susan Dudley was quoted in National Law Journal: 'Something Else Is Coming': DOGE Established, but With Limited Scope (January 22, 2025). 

Susan Dudley was quoted in E&E News: Trump’s Regs Freeze Trips Up Biden’s Green Rules (January 22, 2025).

Susan Dudley was cited in the Las Vegas Review-Journal: Trump Sets Ambitious Regulatory Agenda (January 22, 2025).

RSC's Congressional Review Act Dashboard was cited in the Washington Post: Trump Embarks on Vast Effort to Revoke Federal Regulations (January 21, 2025).

Susan Dudley was quoted in CQ Roll Call: Acting FDIC Leader Withdraws Rule, Signals New Direction (January 21, 2025). 

Susan Dudley was quoted in the Daily Caller: Trump Reveals ‘More Modest’ Vision For DOGE In Executive Order (January 21, 2025).

Howard Beales was quoted in Press Reader: Some Biden-Era Rules Could Last (January 18, 2025).

Howard Beales was quoted in the Boston Globe: Biden Cracked Down on ‘Junk Fees’ and Hard-to-Cancel Memberships. Will Trump Bring them Back? (January 17, 2025).

The Congressional Review Act (CRA) Lookback Window Dashboard was cited in WestLaw Today: How the Congressional Review Act May Shape Environmental Rulemaking and Guidance (January 17, 2025).

Dylan Desjardins' commentary on crypto and the policy preferences of the electorate was cited in Coin Telegraph: Pro-Bitcoin Lawmakers Pack Congress as Partisan Gridlock Looms (January 17, 2025).

Susan Dudley was quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Jimmy Carter Deregulated Airlines Nearly 50 Years Ago. The Debate Rages On (January 15, 2025).

RSC commentary cited in The Deseret News: Tracking Trump’s Day 1 Promises (January 8, 2025). 

Howard Beales was quoted in Straight Arrow News: CFPB Sues Warren Buffett-backed Mortgage Lender for Ignoring ‘Red Flags’ (January 8, 2025).

Aram Gavoor was quoted in the Wall Street Journal: Can DOGE ‘Delete’ a Federal Agency? The Legal Hurdles Ahead (January 7, 2025).

Listen to our podcast for insights on regulatory trends. Recent discussions have explored the Congressional Review Act, Biden's Data Security executive order, effective public engagement strategies for federal agencies, and more.