The scrutiny of regulatory enforcement during the Biden era has taken center stage as Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement Chairman Clay Higgins (R-La.) signals an aggressive investigation into what he terms the "weaponization" of regulations. According to the House Oversight Committee press release on Friday, Higgins is pursuing information from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding actions they have taken to reassess regulations that they believe may have been burdensome to American businesses and citizens.
In his quest, Chairman Higgins specifically called upon Attorney General Pam Bondi and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to deliver on the actions of the DOJ and EPA. With an eye on environmentally driven decrees that, under the Biden administration, "were the target of politically motivated regulatory enforcement and 'environmental justice' directives," as Chairman Higgins described. The actions demanded by agencies, including restrictive consent decrees with onerous requirements, have had a chilling effect, primarily on small businesses, the very muscle and bone of the American economy, as detailed by the House Oversight Committee.
The scope of the impact described by Higgins paints a grim picture for local commerce, indicating that many small businesses faced bankruptcy and closure as a result of complying with the heavy-handed regulations imposed. "Failing to comply with the requirements, which are often extremely expensive for small businesses, all but ensured DOJ and EPA would force the business to close, potentially leaving countless Americans without jobs," Chairman Higgins said. The Subcommittee's concerted effort to investigate these practices intends to elucidate the present-day consequences of the Biden administration's regulatory approach and its implications for fair enforcement of federal and civil law, as per the House Oversight Committee's release.
Even with President Trump's policies enacted in January to pause pending environmental litigation, rescind oppressive environmental justice rules, and halt consent decrees in an effort to mediate the issues created, businesses are reported to be continuing to struggle under the burden of adherence to rules previously imposed. This ongoing enforcement could, as Congressman Higgins warns, continue to negatively impact the integrity of the nation's economic fabric. In order to expedite the Subcommittee’s oversight and fact-finding mission, Higgins has requested a staff-level briefing from the DOJ and EPA by no later than next Thursday.
