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Trump executive order on regulation policy unclear

A policy adviser says President Trump’s Executive Order to reduce government regulations is unclear.

Ferd Hoefner with the National Sustainable Ag Coalition says the executive order is unworkable because it doesn’t provide a framework for how policy will be implemented, especially in departments with multiple agencies like USDA.

“It is ambiguous on that point as to whether it needs to be within the same agency or within the same department or whether you can go outside of that. It’s not entirely clear the way I read it as to what that would be,” says Hoefner.

The executive order says any agency or department proposing a new regulation will be required to identify at least two existing regulations to repeal. Hoefner tells Brownfield even if farmers dislike certain government regulations, they serve a purpose.

“For good or for ill there are things farmers need clarified by the federal government. Whether that’s farm bill or whether it’s the new food safety law, etc. It’s going to impact them one way or another. Better to have clear and transparent rules than to have ambiguities,” says Hoefner.

Hoefner says fundamentally, rules are used to implement the laws that are passed by Congress.

“This idea that you get rid of two in order to get one and then on net balance the cost has to be zero, just reflects an ignorance about what a rule is and what rule making is about,” says Hoefner.

Hoefner says if the executive order isn’t clarified by President Trump, either Congress will have to define the rules when it passes legislation or agencies themselves will consolidate the rules to reduce numbers.

Audio: Ferd Hoefner, Senior Policy Director, National Sustainable Ag Coalition