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CRA By the Numbers 2025: Update for March 18, 2025

Since our last update (March 10), we have crossed two important milestones regarding Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions: President Trump signed the first two resolutions into law, and the overall number of CRA resolutions introduced in Congress reached 60.

President Trump signed the first CRA resolutions of his second term into law

On March 14, the president signed into law:

The repeal of these two regulations represents a big win for fossil fuel interests. S.J.Res.11 targeted a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rule that required companies to complete an archaeological assessment before drilling, in order to protect potentially relevant historical artifacts and sites, such as shipwrecks, from damage. This move makes it easier for companies to ignore historically sensitive sites and move on to expand drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, resulting in increased environmental damage and greenhouse gas emissions. The Department of the Interior published a press release on March 15, celebrating the repeal of the rule and highlighting the need for “offshore lease sales to be regular, predictable, and at a level that allows us to maintain energy production.”

H.J.Res.35 targeted EPA's rule implementing a fee on methane leaks from oil and gas. In the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress directed EPA to impose and collect a fee on methane emissions from large emitters in the oil and natural gas sector. This mandate to regulate methane emissions, however, is also at risk, as Republicans are currently trying to find a way to repeal the underlying legislative mandate. A multitude of companies, trade associations, and state and local governments complained about the workability and applicability of the rule during and after the rulemaking process, and its repeal has gained praise from Republicans on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Congress has already introduced 60 CRA resolutions

As of March 17, legislators have introduced 60 Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions, including several that were introduced before the specified time cutoffs. So far, CRA resolutions have targeted 24 federal agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency continues to be the most targeted agency, with 10 CRA resolutions targeting finalized rules, followed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (7 resolutions), the Department of Energy (6 resolutions), and the Department of Homeland Security.

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We have continued to see some movement around some of the resolutions. In addition to the two signed into law, there are currently six resolutions that passed the first chamber:

Looking ahead, the Senate has placed four more resolutions on its legislative calendar. S.J.Res.7 targets a Federal Communications Commission rule retaining to "Addressing the Homework Gap Through the E-Rate Program," S.J.Res.30 targets a National Park Service rule relating to "Glen Canyon National Recreation Area; Motor Vehicles," and S.J.Res.4 targets a Department of Energy rule relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters."

The Senate is also expected to vote on S.J.Res.31, which targets the Environmental Protection Agency rule relating to "Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act". This rule aimed to ensure that certain major sources of air pollution maintain public health protections and promote transparency and accountability when major sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) reclassify themselves as area sources under the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) program. The repeal of this regulation could have major impacts on the EPA’s ability to regulate pollution from major HAP sources.

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Federico Holm | March 18, 2025

CRA By the Numbers 2025: Update for March 18, 2025

Since our last update (March 10), we have crossed two important milestones regarding Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions: President Trump signed the first two resolutions into law, and the overall number of CRA resolutions introduced in Congress reached 60.

U.S. Capitol in the sunshine in late autumn

Joseph Tomain, Sidney A. Shapiro | March 17, 2025

How Government and Markets Built America Together

Government has always been an essential part of American history, and this remains true today. Yet, as President Trump prepares, once again, to do his best to dismantle the administrative state, American history reveals why these efforts will ultimately fail. To appreciate that history, and what it means as the country moves into the Trump administration, we summarize key findings of our book.

Daniel Farber | March 13, 2025

Legal Safeguards Against Deregulation

While President Trump finds “tariff” one of the most beautiful words in the English language, I myself prefer “anti-backsliding.” Back in January, Trump told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to roll back efficiency standards on everything from light bulbs to shower heads. Some news outlets viewed this as an accomplished task, with headlines like “Trump Rolls Back Energy Standard.” But, as it turned out, not only was it not a done deal, it was also legally impossible. The reason: an anti-backsliding provision.

Daniel Farber | March 11, 2025

The Legal Complexities of Deregulating Power Plant Carbon Emissions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to regulate carbon emissions from power plants have had a tortuous history, and we’re about to go through another round, with a rule from a Democratic administration being repealed and replaced by a Trump rule. The last time this happened, the Trump EPA said that its interpretation of the statute required an extraordinarily narrow substitute rule. Because of intervening legal changes, it won’t find it as easy to make that argument this time. In the end, the Trump substitute rule will undoubtedly be weak but not as weak as last time.

Federico Holm | March 10, 2025

CRA By the Numbers 2025: Update for March 10, 2025

As of Monday, March 10, legislators have introduced 57 Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions, including several that were introduced before the specified time cutoffs. We have continued to see some movement around some of the resolutions.

Catalina Gonzalez, Rachel Mayo | March 6, 2025

Trump Administration Actions Against Black Americans Have Deep Historical Roots

It is no coincidence that since taking office on Martin Luther King Day, the Trump administration’s most aggressive actions have targeted historically marginalized groups. In fact, the many blatantly illegal, unconstitutional, and bizarre actions we saw during the first month of Trump 2.0 — during which we also observed National Black History Month — are specifically harmful to Black Americans.

Daniel Farber | March 4, 2025

Trump Shoves Economic Analysis and Science to the Curb

If you were looking for data-driven regulatory policy, you’re not going to find it in this administration. On the contrary, President Trump has marginalized economic analysis and wants to bulldoze environmental science. Thus, we are likely to get policies that are bad for the environment without being cost-justified while ignoring policies whose environmental benefits outweigh economic costs.

Federico Holm | March 3, 2025

CRA By the Numbers 2025: Update for March 3, 2025

As of February 28, legislators have introduced 45 Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions, including several that were introduced before the specified time cutoffs. As expected, we have started to see some movement around some of the resolutions.

Joseph Tomain, Sidney A. Shapiro | February 28, 2025

Trump Administration Sets Out to Create an America its People Have Never Experienced — One Without a Meaningful Government

The U.S. government is attempting to dismantle itself. President Donald Trump has directed the executive branch to “significantly reduce the size of government.” That includes deep cuts in federal funding of scientific and medical research and freezing federal grants and loans for businesses. He has ordered the reversal or removal of regulations on medical insurance companies and other businesses and sought to fire thousands of federal employees. Those are just a few of dozens of executive orders that seek to deconstruct the government. More than 70 lawsuits have challenged those orders as illegal or unconstitutional. In the meantime, the resulting chaos is preventing the government from carrying out its everyday functions.