WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined 22 of her Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama requesting his administration stop issuing non-emergency rules and regulations in the final weeks of his term. Senator Capito and her colleagues stressed to the president that the American people made it clear on November 8 that they expect regulatory relief.

The letter reads in full:

Dear Mr. President:

We write to request your administration cease issuing new, non-emergency rules and regulations given the recent election results of November 8. In a clear and direct repudiation of consistent regulatory overreach by federal agencies, the American people have, for the first time since 2007, handed control of both the executive and legislative branches of government to the same majority. It is our job now to determine the right balance between regulation and free market principles and make sure that our federal government no longer stands between Americans and financial success.

Whether it is the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule unfairly burdening our farmers and ranchers, the anti-coal rules eliminating thousands of jobs and driving up household energy costs, or the Dodd-Frank rules denying our small businesses access to capital, federal agencies continue to produce reams of new regulations that hurt our job creators and cripple our economy. But this flawed approach to governance has been rejected by the people. 

Today, we have the opportunity to return to commonsense principles of regulation and curb unnecessary government interference in the private sector. In doing so, we will grow the economy, create jobs, and, above all, help the people who have been overlooked the past eight years. To this end, we respectfully request you honor the will of the American people and refrain from working on or issuing any new, non-emergency regulations while carrying out your remaining term in office. 

The letter was also signed by Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Barrasso, M.D. (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger F. Wicker (R-Miss.), Michael B. Enzi (R-Wyo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).
 

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