White House Launches Regulatory Reform Effort

On April 9th President Trump began signing a series of new Executive Orders (EO) and Memoranda aimed at reforming a wide variety of federal regulations, rules, and procedures, kicking off a new phase of government reform that will be closely monitored by regulatory and rulemaking authorities around the world.   

“Promoting economic growth and American innovation are top priorities of this Administration…Consistent with these priorities and with my commitment to restore fidelity to the Constitution, on February 19, 2025, I issued Executive Order 14219 (Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Deregulatory Initiative).  It directed the heads of all executive departments and agencies to identify certain categories of unlawful and potentially unlawful regulations within 60 days and begin plans to repeal them.” 

Following the 60-day review period, agencies are directed to immediately take steps to effectuate the repeal of any regulation, or the portion of any regulation, that has been identified by the Administration as exceeding the agency’s statutory authority.  

In a related effort, the Administration signed a new E.O., Reducing Anti-Competitive Regulatory Barriers, which gives federal agency heads, in conjunction with the FTC and Attorney General, a mandate to identify and review any regulations that:  

(i)    create, or facilitate the creation of, de facto or de jure monopolies; 

(ii)   create unnecessary barriers to entry for new market participants; 

(iii)  limit competition between competing entities or have the effect of limiting competition between competing entities; 

(iv)   create or facilitate licensure or accreditation requirements that unduly limit competition; 

(v)    unnecessarily burden the agency’s procurement processes, thereby limiting companies’ ability to compete for procurements; or 

(vi)   otherwise impose anti-competitive restraints or distortions on the operation of the free market. 

The EO requires a report within 70 days with a list of regulations identified by the categories above. To read the full E.O., visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/reducing-anti-competitive-regulatory-barriers/