Trump Signs Order Requiring Agency Regulatory Reform Task Forces

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday requiring agencies to establish what the administration is calling regulatory reform task forces. “Each Regulatory Reform Task Force will evaluate existing regulations and identify candidates for repeal or modification,” the administration said in a news release. “Each agency’s Task Force will focus on eliminating costly and unnecessary regulations. To hold the Task Forces accountable, agencies will measure and report progress in achieving the President’s directives.” He surrounded himself by executives Friday when signing the order and lambasted what he called job-killing regulations. “An impossible situation, we’re going to solve it very quickly,” Trump promised at the order’s signing. He said the litmus test should be whether regulations make life better or safer for people. “We have begun a historic program to reduce the regulations that are crushing our economy,” Trump said Friday during the Conservative Political Action Conference. “We’re going to put the regulation industry out of work and out of business.” He repeated his belief that 75 percent of the “repetitive” and “horrible” regulations aren't needed, despite pledging his commitment to strong regulations otherwise. The order requires each task force to provide progress updates to agency chiefs within 90 days. “Within 60 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency, except the heads of agencies receiving waivers under section 5 of this order, shall designate an agency official as its Regulatory Reform Officer,” said the order text. Agency chiefs may request waivers from compliance with the order.