Elections and Government Reform

Federal agencies' power to write rules

24 public statements from 2026 candidates · 6 related bills

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Regulations set many everyday rules, from workplace safety to bank fees to air pollution, so this decides how much say agencies, Congress and the courts each have over them.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

How much power federal agencies have to write binding regulations under the laws Congress passes, and how Congress and the courts can check them; Congress can vote to overturn a new rule under the Congressional Review Act, and in 2024 the Supreme Court ended the rule that courts defer to an agency's reading of an unclear law.1,2

  1. Require Congress to approve every major new rule before it takes effect
  2. Make it easier for Congress to overturn rules, such as by canceling several at once from the end of a president's term
  3. Keep current law, under which most rules take effect unless Congress votes to overturn them
  4. Protect agencies' power to write detailed rules, such as by having courts again defer to agencies' reading of unclear laws

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Require Congress to approve every major new rule before it takes effect (7)

  • Robb Tucker CA-3
    His campaign website says major federal regulations with large economic effects should require formal approval by Congress, with plain-English public reports of their costs.3
  • Michael "Dr. Mike" Katz DE Senate
    His campaign website says every major agency rule should require approval by Congress.4
  • Kat Cammack FL-3
    Her campaign website says she introduced the REINS Act, which would require Congress to approve every major rule costing $100 million or more before it takes effect.5
  • Tim Walberg MI-5
    His campaign website says he voted for legislation to stop federal agencies from creating costly regulations without approval from elected representatives.6
  • Paul Wikstrom MN-4
    His campaign website says major regulations should need Congress’s approval and that two existing regulations should be dropped for every new one.7
  • Michelle Fischbach MN-7
    The record page lists co-sponsoring and voting for the REINS Act, which it says would require congressional approval of major rules, and co-sponsoring a bill to sunset regulations established under Chevron deference.8
  • Andy Maidment MO-6
    His campaign website lists forcing Congress to approve regulations before they come into effect.9

Statements that don't match one option (17)

  • Treg Taylor AK Governor
    His campaign website says he supported the case that ended Chevron deference, which it says limits federal agencies' power to interpret the law.10
  • Gary Palmer AL-6
    His campaign website says major regulatory decisions should be made by elected lawmakers rather than agency officials, and says he has worked to rein in EPA rules that lack clear authorization from Congress.11
  • Bruce Westerman AR-4
    His campaign website says that in Congress he has helped roll back more than a dozen Obama-era regulations.12
  • Ritesh Tandon CA-17
    His campaign website says federal agencies should remove or update two outdated regulations for every major new one, with strict cost-benefit review and deadlines for rules to expire.13
  • Stephanie M. Vargas CA-33
    Her campaign website says she will support legislation to stop unelected officials from adopting costly rules without elected representatives being held accountable.14
  • Houston Brignano CA-36
    His campaign website says he would cut unnecessary rules and regulations through measures like the REINS Act.15,16
  • Seth Haskin FL-19
    His campaign website says he will work to restore the nondelegation doctrine and reclaim legislative authority from administrative agencies, and to limit the scope of federal regulation.17,18
  • Michael Bridgford IA-1
    His campaign website says he will refuse to vote for legislation that relies on executive branch interpretation, so that Congress debates and votes on the exact text of the rules that affect Iowans.19
  • Victoria Spartz IN-5
    Her campaign website says the regulation powers of the executive branch should be limited so that businesses of any size can thrive.20
  • Ron Estes KS-4
    His campaign website says unelected bureaucracies in Washington have too much control and that he strongly supports policies that limit the federal government, roll back unnecessary regulations and give more power to Kansans and their local governments.21
  • Micah Quinney Jones MA-6
    His campaign website's accountability plan lists strengthening oversight of delegated rulemaking among the ways Congress should reassert its constitutional role.22
  • Arnett Satterla MI-1
    His campaign website says rules written by federal agencies affect people who had no vote on them, and that the federal government should meet a higher standard of accountability.23
  • Michael A. Chiaradio MS-3
    His campaign website says lawmaking should go back to elected officials instead of being driven mainly by federal agencies.24
  • Julie Fedorchak ND-AL
    Her campaign website lists limiting the reach of federal agencies among her priorities.25,26
  • Adrian Smith NE-3
    His campaign website says he has sponsored and voted for legislation to limit costly and burdensome federal regulations and to hold the federal government accountable.27
  • Macey Budke NE-3
    Her campaign website says she wants more precise laws from Congress, tougher congressional oversight and limits on how far executive power can expand, and says agencies sometimes go beyond the authority Congress has defined.28
  • Robbie Mahrou NH-2
    His campaign website lists championing the 10th Amendment, by limiting the authority of agencies whose leaders are not elected and shifting power back to states and localities, among the steps he would take in Congress.29

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.