Obama Issued More ‘Midnight Regulations’ than Any President in Recent History

President Obama has issued 145 “midnight” regulations with a cost of $21 billion since President-elect Donald Trump got elected, more than any lame-duck president in recent history, according to a recent study.

The study by American Action Forum said Thursday that Obama’s rules — enacted in the “midnight” period after election day from Nov. 8 to Dec. 31 — include 31 “economically significant” regulations costing at least $100 million each, the Washington Times reported.

“The administration has published more than 21 million hours of final federal paperwork requirements since November 8,” said Sam Batkins, AAF’s director of regulatory policy. “At the current pace, the Obama administration is going to be the most active ‘midnight’ (period from Election Day to Inauguration Day) regulator in more than a generation.”

The House passed a bill called the Midnight Rules Relief Act, a rule that would allow lawmakers to repeal any regulations finalized in the last 60 days of an outgoing administration in one resolution of disapproval, Wednesday by a vote of 238-134, the Hill reported.

The measure is now headed to the Senate for consideration. If it makes it to President Obama’s desk before he leaves office, the White House has already threatened to veto the bill.

AAF said the Obama administration broke records when it released 99 regulations last month, including 19 measures that were “economically significant.”

“December’s regulatory output eclipsed every December in more than a generation, since 1993,” Batkins said. “The pace in December has increased to 4.5 regulations per day, or roughly double the average daily output.”