House Judiciary Committee Votes to Rein in Runaway Bureaucracy

Statement

Today, the House Judiciary Committee marked up H.R. 4768, the Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016. The bill reins in power that has been ceded to overreaching federal agencies by restoring to the courts the power to interpret the law. In doing so, the bill ensures that federal agencies decide questions of the law and prevents federal bureaucrats from interpreting their own regulations, to the detriment of hardworking Americans and the separation of powers. Congressman Collins, an original cosponsor of H.R. 4768, issued the following statement after the bill passed out of committee:

"Our businesses, workplaces, schools, and even local governments are drowning in new regulations made by unelected bureaucrats from the comfort of their Washington, D.C. cubicles. By ensuring that courts, rather than federal agencies, are responsible for interpreting ambiguous statutes, we can rein in the power of unelected bureaucrats to create laws and stem the tide of burdensome regulations. Currently, the law and court precedent delegate and defer too much authority to federal agencies to interpret statute and promulgate regulations, which seriously undermines the power of both the legislative and judicial branches. With each passing year, President Obama's bureaucrats have become more emboldened to issue rules and regulations that significantly overstep their authority, and they need to be checked by the court system. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation, which will help restore the separation of powers and hold the Administration accountable."

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