House · HR 77 · 119th Congress
Midnight Rules Relief Act
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Summary
This bill lets Congress cancel multiple last-minute rules from an outgoing president in one vote. Right now, Congress must vote on each rule one at a time. The bill affects regulations passed in the final year of a president's term.
In Favor
Outgoing administrations often rush out large batches of rules right before a new president takes over, locking in policy after voters chose change. Bundled congressional review gives Congress a real check that matches that bundled executive action. This bill restores the oversight the Congressional Review Act intended, letting elected lawmakers respond to lame-duck rulemaking in a direct, accountable way.
Against
Bundling many rules into one vote means Congress cannot judge each rule on its own merits. A useful rule could get canceled simply because it was grouped with unpopular ones. That reduces careful review and could wipe out rules that protect public health or safety.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
This bill lets Congress cancel multiple regulations in one vote instead of voting on each one separately. It targets rules sent to Congress during the final year of a presidential term.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The provisions stay on topic. Every part of the bill addresses how Congress votes to cancel end-of-term regulations, without adding unrelated items.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Congress gains a faster way to cancel groups of regulations at once. Federal agencies that issued end-of-term rules face the possibility of losing multiple rules in a single congressional vote.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill changes a voting process rather than spending or collecting money. It shifts work onto Congress to draft combined disapproval resolutions and onto agencies to track which rules may be grouped together.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
Grouping many rules into one vote may make it harder for members to reject some rules while keeping others. The bill's own bundling mechanism removes the option to vote on each rule on its own terms.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 7/24/2026