On Friday, 72 labor, environmental, consumer advocacy, health care, and other public interest organizations (including OMB Watch) wrote to the House Judiciary Committee urging its members to oppose H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act. The bill, which we’ve been covering extensively on this blog in recent weeks, would require congressional approval of all major rules before government agencies can implement them.

“This misguided bill would jeopardize crucial public protections by further complicating the rulemaking process and politicizing decisions about health and welfare,” the letter says (and here is a sample letter). “Further delaying the rulemaking process would prove costly. Congress recognized the need for action when it passed recent laws that delegate to agencies responsibilities for protecting children from toxic toys, families from tainted food, consumers from financial exploitation, and sick children from being denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition.”

The groups signing the letter include some of the largest environmental, consumer advocacy, labor, and health care groups inside and outside of Washington D.C.

H.R. 10 would not only lead to an assault on environmental protections and safety standards, it would undermine rules setting up programs such as food stamps, rules defining payments and benefits for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and rules incentivizing farming decision and other business practices.

The Judiciary Committee is expected to hold another hearing before voting on the bill. Hopefully, the consequences of the bill will be more fully considered.