Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from the federal agencies, Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Monday evening here in Washington.
Here’s the latest.
THE BIG STORY
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is introducing legislation to expand background checks on gun purchases to gun shows and online sales.
Schumer’s announcement follows pressure from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which said it flooded Schumer’s office with more than 1,000 calls on Monday morning criticizing the lack of a bill.
{mosads}”As the author of the [original] Brady law, Sen. Schumer, of course, agrees that there should be universal background checks,” spokesman Matt House told The Hill. “To avoid any misunderstanding, he will introduce his universal background check bill today.”
Schumer is generally seen as one of the strongest supporters of gun control in the Senate. But the Brady Campaign criticized him earlier on Monday for failing to fulfill his promise of holding a vote early this year on background check legislation.
“This is a guy who’s not only on our side; he’s one of the great leaders on our side,” Brady President Dan Gross told The Hill. “But regardless of whether they’re Republican or Democrat, an ally or a foe, if we think there’s more they can be doing, we’re going to tell them.”
During a speech last fall in New York, Schumer told the Brady Campaign he would lead the charge for expanded background checks in the Senate.
“If we could do it then, we can do it now,” Schumer said in his November speech, according to Brady. “We are going to bring the universal background check bill to the floor of the Senate early next year, and with your help we are going to win.”
The Brady group was then disappointed to not see legislation from Schumer.
The gun control group also plans to turn up the pressure on Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who both previously voted against the Manchin-Toomey background check bill in 2013.
“We’re going to be going at them,” Gross said. http://bit.ly/1Th4AD8
ON TAP FOR TUESDAY
The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee will hold a hearing to discuss how small businesses are struggling under the Affordable Care Act. http://1.usa.gov/1OpYWfL
The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to discuss the dangers of synthetic drugs http://1.usa.gov/1TdfleU
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry will hold a hearing on the impact environmental regulations have on the farm economy http://1.usa.gov/1Nw2an8
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) is expected to join members of the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the Washington Teachers Union at the Capitol to mark the 62 anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling and call on Senate Republicans to hold a hearing and vote on President’s Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.
THE HILL EVENT
Join us 5/24 for State of the Sharing Economy: A Discussion on the Future of Cross-Border Commerce, featuring conversations with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Navdeep Bains, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development. Topics of discussion include: New markets created by technological innovation, the global sharing economy, and policy & regulatory reforms to protect personal and proprietary data. Register here.
TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY
The Obama administration will publish 115 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Tuesday’s edition of the Federal Register.
–The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will issue new rules for company-sponsored wellness programs.
The first rule provides “guidance on the extent to which employers may use incentives to encourage employees to participate in wellness programs that ask them to respond to disability-related inquiries and/or undergo medical examinations,” the agency says. http://bit.ly/1TVUDxh
The second rule will address “the extent to which an employer may offer an inducement to an employee for the employee’s spouse to provide information about the spouse’s manifestation of disease or disorder as part of a health risk assessment (HRA),” for a company wellness program. http://bit.ly/1TS31Ll
The rules go into effect in 60 days.
–The Library of Congress will consider new rules for online-only books.
The Library’s U.S. Copyright Office is looking to expand its mandatory deposit requirements for books and sound recordings that are only available online.
The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/22dX6qc
NEWS RIGHT NOW
Dems call for changes to child nutrition bill http://bit.ly/1OxHzPB
Study: Obama issued $85B in regs this year http://bit.ly/1TWe7Sa
Supreme Court won’t hear Exxon appeal in groundwater contamination case http://bit.ly/1sjyyiQ
Justices limit lawsuits against search sites for false information http://bit.ly/1R4GusR
Court showdown over Obama climate rule delayed until fall http://bit.ly/1TkkTBs
Dems want changes to child nutrition bill http://bit.ly/1XgpG9C
ObamaCare insurers losses grew in 2015, study finds http://bit.ly/1Th4USs
Thomas Perez, a labor watchdog who’s not all bite – The New York Times http://nyti.ms/1Xgh6aE
Obama to extend Pell grants to high school students taking college courses – CBS News http://cbsn.ws/1rQ0zPi
Supreme Court rejects challenge to protest ban on Supreme Court plaza – The Huffington Post http://huff.to/1WBwijM
BY THE NUMBERS
$85 billion: Cost of regulations issued so far this year by the Obama administration, according to a study from a conservative group.
44: Number of economically significant rules issued so far this year.
35: Number of economically significant rules still in the pipeline.
(Source: A study from the conservative American Action Forum). http://bit.ly/1TWe7Sa
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Precisely because this election year is so crazy … shows you why you shouldn’t want to politicize a Supreme Court appointment,” Obama said in an interview with BuzzFeed on Monday, urging Republicans to hold a hearing on his Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland and to not let Donald Trump pick the next justice. http://bit.ly/1OxWlps
We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-release.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-release.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-release.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and @wheelerlydia.
Click here to sign up for the newsletter: http://bit.ly/1Vygy0F