Lankford Introduces Regulatory Accountability Act to Rein in Unelected Bureaucrats

WASHINGTON, DC – US Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) today introduced the Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) to reform federal rulemaking by curbing agency overreach, restoring congressional authority, and ensuring that regulations are transparent and lawful while preventing agencies from bypassing Congress and the Constitution.

“For too long, unelected bureaucrats have been writing binding rules with little accountability to Congress or the American people,” said Lankford. “Now that the Court has ended Chevron, it’s time for Congress to step up and make that accountability permanent. Small businesses in Oklahoma deserve certainty and clarity, not burdensome red tape from Washington. The Regulatory Accountability Act ensures that agencies follow the law, not write it.”

“This bill restores accountability to a regulatory process that has become overly complex and burdensome, especially for small businesses and workers,” said Johnson. “It reins in unelected bureaucrats by ensuring major regulations receive proper scrutiny and cost analysis before taking effect. Increasing transparency and simplifying the regulatory process will further economic growth for all Americans.”

Background:

The Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) modernizes the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), first enacted in 1946, to require transparency, cost-benefit analysis, and consistent procedures across the board. It also restores independent judicial review, ensuring courts don’t blindly defer to agency interpretations of law.

The RAA focuses on three core areas: improving the rulemaking process, increasing transparency, and restoring judicial independence.

Key provisions include:

• New rules must be directly tied to a law passed by Congress, not a broad grant of unchecked authority to the agency
• Improves the Congressional Review Act (CRA) requirements to simplify timeliness and the submission process
• Ending rulemaking through informal guidance documents
• Guaranteeing adequate public comment periods and data disclosure
• Requiring courts to review agency interpretations de novo rather than deferentially

Lankford previously introduced the RAA in 2023.

You can read the full text of the Regulatory Accountability Act HERE.

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