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The House passed the Midnight Rules Relief Act, which would allow Congress to overturn multiple federal regulations issued in the final year of a presidential term with a single vote. The bill passed 212-208, largely along party lines.
This bill, the Midnight Rules Relief Act (H.R. 77), changes how Congress can reject regulations created by government agencies. Specifically, it targets "midnight rules," which are regulations finalized during the last year of a president's term. Under current law, Congress must typically vote on each regulation individually to cancel it. This bill would allow lawmakers to group many such regulations together into one package and cancel them all at once. This was a "Vote on Passage," which is the final step for a bill in the House of Representatives. To pass, it needed a simple majority of those present and voting. Because the vote was successful, the bill moves to the Senate for consideration. The bill passed with nearly all Republicans voting in favor and almost all Democrats voting against. Supporters argue it makes it easier to remove rushed or politically motivated rules from a previous administration. Opponents worry it allows for the mass removal of important public protections without enough individual scrutiny for each rule being cancelled.
The bill has been received in the Senate, where it was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. This bill significantly alters the balance of power between the President and Congress by allowing a new Congress to quickly erase the regulatory legacy of a previous administration.
Who’s affected. Federal Agencies: Agencies would face a higher risk of having multiple late-term rules overturned simultaneously without individual debate. · Regulated Industries: Businesses could see rapid shifts in federal standards following an election if numerous regulations are repealed at once. · Congress: Lawmakers gain a much more efficient tool to check the executive branch's power during presidential transitions.
Democrats. Nearly all Democrats voted against the bill, with 209 voting no and only 1 voting yes.
Republicans. Republicans almost unanimously supported the bill, with 213 voting yes and 1 voting no.
On Passage
Feb 12, 2025
The House passed the Midnight Rules Relief Act, which would allow Congress to overturn multiple federal regulations issued in the final year of a presidential term with a single vote.
The bill passed 212-208, largely along party lines.
This was a final vote in the House to approve the bill. In the House of Representatives, most bills only need more "yes" votes than "no" votes to pass and move on to the Senate.
The bill has been received in the Senate, where it was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
This bill significantly alters the balance of power between the President and Congress by allowing a new Congress to quickly erase the regulatory legacy of a previous administration.
The vote was strictly split along party lines, with Republicans supporting the measure and Democrats opposing it.
Nearly all Democrats voted against the bill, with 209 voting no and only 1 voting yes.
Republicans almost unanimously supported the bill, with 213 voting yes and 1 voting no.
One independent member voted in favor of the bill.