Sue and Settle sunk

When the EPA announced the decision to drop the practice of “sue and settle” no one was more pleased than Georgia’s 9th District Congressman Doug Collins:

No government agency should collude with special interest groups to redefine its priorities through covert consent decrees. The EPA’s decision to crack down on this practice will give Americans back their right to know about and respond to federal rulemaking, and I applaud Secretary Pruitt for taking this step today.

This past January, Rep. Doug Collins (R- Ga.) introduced H.R. 469, the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act, in the House, and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced its companion, S. 119. The Sunshine Act inhibits federal agencies to take part in back-door sue-and-settle arrangements with special interest groups, which get around established regulatory processes.

Regardless of yesterday’s announcement Rep Collins will continue the push to end this type of back room litigation.

I will continue working to snuff out back-room litigation that unfairly impacts our citizens. The EPA’s directive reflects the principles outlined in the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act, which would ensure that the sue-and-settle mischief we witnessed during the last administration would never again take hold in a federal agency.

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