Trump to trumpet regulatory rollback

President Donald Trump will trumpet his administration’s efforts to roll back federal regulations at the White House on Thursday.

Trump signed an executive order days after taking office in which he directed agencies to identify two regulations to cut for every new one they intend to issue. It also ordered agencies to offset any new regulatory costs with cuts by eliminating existing rules. He’ll be updating voters on his progress.

The order was part of a larger effort to scale back environmental, business and other regulations Trump and his administration have argued are unwieldy and stifle economic growth.

The Trump administration’s deregulation efforts have been a highlight in a year in which its legislative agenda has faced headwinds. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon colorfully described the campaign in February as “the deconstruction of the administrative state,” a term still used by administration officials, including White House counsel Donald McGahn.

But critics say the administration’s claims are over-stated. And they say the rules Trump has tried to dismantle provide crucial protections for the environment, consumers and others.

The White House on Thursday also released the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, the annual assessment of the executive branch’s rule-making efforts. (AP)