Biden Must Fill Leadership Vacancies at White House Regulatory Office ASAP

For Immediate Release:
Feb. 28, 2022

Contact: David Rosen, drosen@citizen.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Coalition for Sensible Safeguards today called on President Joe Biden to fill vacancies at the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Following the recent departure of Acting Administrator Sharon Block, OIRA lacks fully staffed leadership, which could delay and halt important progress on sensible protections and prevent long overdue reforms that would make the rulemaking process more efficient, transparent, and responsive to the public.

“Your administration has a unique opportunity to rebuild the regulatory system so that it works for the American people, and the accomplishment of this reform effort can be an enduring part of your administration’s legacy. We urge you to prioritize filling the current vacancies at OIRA to ensure the success of your regulatory agenda to protect the public,” the letter reads. The letter calls on Biden to appoint OIRA leadership with diverse backgrounds who are committed to fundamental reforms at OIRA and who understand that strong regulation is the basis for improving the lives of everyday Americans – especially historically marginalized communities.

OIRA is a small White House office that reviews regulations before they can be finalized and issued. But under administrations from both parties, the agency has been a chokepoint where corporate lobbyists go to block, delay, and water down new public protections. Under the leadership of Block and Senior Counsel Sabeel Rahman, OIRA has been instrumental in reversing the previous administration’s harmful deregulatory policies. Unfortunately, little progress has been made on Biden’s promises to fix OIRA and modernize the regulatory system, as outlined in an executive order issued on Day One of his presidency.

Leading the fight to reform OIRA is the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards – an alliance of more than 160 consumer, labor, scientific, research, faith, community, climate and environmental, small business, good government, civil rights, public health, and public interest groups representing millions of people. The coalition believes that our system of regulatory safeguards should save lives, pave the way for a sound economy, and benefit us all.