Washington Digest: House OKs requirement to sign off on regulations

WASHINGTON -- The House voted last week to put a brake on major federal regulations, part of a drive by Republicans to rein in what they consider onerous government rules.

Lawmakers voted 241-184 to require congressional approval of any federal regulations expected to significantly increase costs to businesses or have an annual impact on the economy of more than $100 million.

Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., who sponsored the REINS Act, said it would ensure that major rules match the intent of Congress. The title is an acronym for "Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny."

Democrats argued the bill would block regulations needed to protect the environment and workers by establishing an impractical review process. Under the bill, they said, Congress would have had to approve 94 major rules in the 116 days they were in session in 2010.

All Republicans who were present voted for the bill, along with four Democrats. All other Democrats present voted against it.

Reps. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., and Joe Heck, R-Nev., voted for the bill. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., voted against it.

The bill was one of a number of proposals House Republicans promoted this year as needed reforms to encourage business investments and hiring.

The House also approved legislation that would block the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing any new regulations for "coarse particulate matter," otherwise known as farm dust.

The bill was approved 268-150.

Proponents argued that it would provide farmers and ranchers with a greater measure of certainty that dust stirred up by farm equipment would not face EPA regulation.

Opponents argued that the legislation was so broadly written that it would allow mining operations, refineries, cement factories and other industries to skirt Clean Air Act regulations that protect public health.

Amodei and Heck voted for the bill. Berkley opposed it.

HOUSE MODERNIZES VIDEO PRIVACY LAW

The House voted 303-116 to make it easier for Netflix and other video services to utilize Facebook and social media networks to promote what "friends" are watching.

The bill would amend a 1998 law designed to protect consumers from having their video rental history published.

Proponents said the updated legislation was narrowly crafted to preserve privacy protections while allowing consumers to do more with their video consumption preferences, including sharing names of new or favorite television shows or movies on social media in a simple way.

Opponents said people are already able to share video preferences online. The legislation simply would relieve companies from the burden of protecting consumer records by allowing them to obtain one-time universal consent to disclose users' viewing history, they said.

Amodei, Heck and Berkley voted for the bill.

CONFIRMATION STALLS

Senate Republicans blocked confirmation of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray as head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Democrats fell seven votes shy of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster of Cordray's confirmation. The Senate vote was 53-45. Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown was the only Republican who voted to end the blockade.

Senate Republicans have vowed for months to block any nominee to head the bureau, created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law, until the agency is restructured. They say it lacks the transparency and accountability of other regulatory agencies.

"Lack of accountability contributed in big ways to many of the problems that came to a head in the 2008 financial meltdown. It doesn't make sense to try to fix things with more of the same and unchecked power," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

Democrats argue that a bureau chief is needed to protect consumers from deceptive or predatory loan products in the financial marketplace. Without a director, the bureau is prohibited from overseeing "nonbank" institutions such as mortgage companies, payday lenders and credit bureaus.

"It's shocking that despite the economic crash in our rearview mirror, Republicans would leave consumers without a watchdog to guard against greed of Wall Street," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Reid voted for Cordray. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., voted against him.

STANDOFF CONTINUES ON PAYROLL TAX CUT

The Senate once again hit an impasse on proposals to extend Social Security payroll tax cuts, a central part of President Barack Obama's jobs strategy.

Most Democrats and some Republicans agreed the year-old tax break, which has saved families as much as $1,000, should not be allowed to expire as the economy sputters. But they disagree on how to pay for it.

Democrats proposed paying for the tax cut by applying a 1.9 percent tax surcharge on earnings above $1 million. Some Republicans preferred extending a freeze on federal worker pay and increasing Medicare premiums for million­aires.

The Democratic plan failed 50-48. Reid voted for it. Heller voted against it.

The Republican plan failed 22-76. Heller voted for it. Reid voted against it.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau reporter Peter Urban at purban@stephensmedia.com or at 202-783-1760.