95 Groups, Public Interest Leaders Call for Swift, Bold Action on Public Safeguards
Biden Should Embrace Regulation to Protect the Public, Workers and Our Environment, Restore Trust in Government
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ninety-five organizations and public interest leaders, in a letter sent today, called on President-elect Joe Biden to embrace a bold and vigorous regulatory agenda to protect the public, workers and our environment, and help restore public trust in government. The letter, spearheaded by the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards (CSS), calls on the new administration to take the following steps:
- Reverse President Donald Trump’s deregulatory executive orders;
- Avoid Cabinet and agency appointments who have ties to regulated industries;
- Limit the role of industry-friendly cost-benefit analysis; and
- Pick an administrator for the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs who is committed to stronger public protections.
“In the face of a potentially divided Congress, the regulatory process will be one of the most critical avenues for your Administration to meet these challenges,” the letter reads. “It is especially important to ensure that the main White House regulatory office, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), take on the mission of advancing – not slowing or derailing – a strong proactive agenda for safeguarding the public, workers and the environment.”
The nation needs strong new safeguards and tough enforcement to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, economic and racial justice, and to rebuild the public’s trust and confidence that our government works for them, CSS maintains.
Recent polling from Data for Progress found that more than seven out of 10 voters – 81% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans – say that regulations play an important role in keeping workers safe, protecting our environment and making sure that everyone has a fair shot.