U.S. House approves bill creating extra hurdles for new rules

By Reuters | Jan 14, 2015 04:26 AM EST

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to approve legislation that creates new hurdles for agencies writing federal regulations, a plan the White House opposes.

The House voted 250-175 for the Republican-backed bill that would require agencies, including financial regulators implementing the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, to make sure their rules impose the lowest possible costs on businesses.

The bill would also require more public notice before an agency writes a new rule and make it easier for businesses to challenge federal regulations in court.

"The effects of excessive government regulation are real for the American people," Representative Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican who introduced the measure, said in a statement.

Republicans, who control both houses of the U.S. Congress after last November's electoral wins, want to ease what they see as a burden on businesses created by environmental rules, the Dodd-Frank law and the 2010 U.S. health system overhaul.

President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the bill if it passes the U.S. Senate. In a statement on Monday, the White House said the law would "impose unnecessary new procedures on agencies and invite frivolous litigation."

More Sections