Peace Garden News

Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak from North Dakota addressed the House Floor to discuss the impact of federal regulations on local families and businesses. Her speech focused on the necessity of the Midnight Rules Relief Act, recently passed by the House, which aims to counteract what she describes as a regulatory surge from the Biden administration.

Fedorchak emphasized that excessive regulations are hindering business innovation and imposing significant costs. She stated, "We are crippling our businesses. We are smothering new ideas before they can even take flight. We are stifling innovation."

As a former energy regulator, Fedorchak advocates for smart regulation that ensures reliability at minimal cost, contrasting this with what she perceives as Washington's ineffective approach. She criticized recent staffing requirements for nurses in North Dakota nursing homes as an example of detrimental last-minute regulations from the previous administration.

According to Fedorchak, federal regulations imposed in 2022 amounted to over $3 trillion, impacting small businesses such as farmers and manufacturers disproportionately. "Hardworking American families pay for these rules and regulations in the price of anything they buy," she remarked.

Her initial action in Congress was addressing burdensome energy regulations through a letter to President Trump and then-Governor Burgum. She praised Trump's administration for its efforts to repeal these rules.

The Midnight Rules Relief Act enables Congress to revoke multiple agency rules issued during a president's final year under Congressional Review Act authority. Fedorchak highlighted that 1,400 regulations were issued by Biden's administration during its last 60 days, affecting North Dakota significantly.

A specific concern is the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Resource Management Plan for North Dakota which limits leasing on federal land crucial for coal mining and oil production. Similar plans affect other states like Montana and Wyoming.

Fedorchak expressed her intent to work with Senate colleagues using CRA processes to address these issues collectively rather than individually. She concluded by advocating for increased American energy production to meet high demand while reducing national debt and energy prices.

"We must start reining in bureaucratic overreach and putting power back where it belongs —with the American people," she stated.

###