Regulatory Renewal

There's nothing remotely surprising about this Washington Post story about how the Obama administration is attempting to move aggressively to revitalize the regulatory apparatus in federal agencies. In the reporting I've done about private-sector labor issues, for example, both the Chamber of Commerce and labor organizations like the AFL-CIO have said they fully expect the regulatory apparatus to start moving, and to start moving as rapidly as is possible within current constraints. What is going to be much more interesting is the conversation between Cass Sunstein at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and all the regulators who are champing at the bit to issue new rules, something the piece alludes to a bit. While I don't think the choice of Sunstein suggests the administration wants to put permanent breaks on regulation, I do think it means that they want a vigorous conversation about the risks and rewards of new regulations, something that will force regulators to sharpen their arguments and consider carefully what they propose.