Regulatory watchdogs slam Trump push to cut public out of rulemaking

Source: Courthouse News Service

July 18, 2025


WASHINGTON (CN) — Regulatory experts are raising red flags about a potential sea change in federal rulemaking that is being quietly implemented by the administration, giving President Donald Trump more authority to act without public input or accountability.

The Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, a nonprofit alliance of over 200 consumer, labor, scientific, research and public interest groups, found that Trump is trying to take more action quickly to limit effective oversight.

“In its unlawful and unprecedented push to cut the public out of the regulatory process, the Trump administration’s goal is ensure that the public will have no say when it rolls back regulations that protect them,” said Sam Berger, author of the report and consultant to the coalition.

Berger said that the same playbook from the administration’s attacks on the federal civil service and disregard for statutory spending directives is being used in federal rulemaking. “If successful, this effort would come at a significant cost, removing an important form of public accountability, reducing transparency and depriving agencies of critical information that helps improve their decisionmaking,” Berger wrote.

Read more: https://www.courthousenews.com/regulatory-watchdogs-slam-trump-push-to-cut-public-out-of-rulemaking/

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Link to the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards PRESS RELEASE - Trump Admin Aims to Shut Down Public Participation in Federal Rulemaking

Link to the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards REPORT - Undermining Accountability in Rulemaking: The Trump Administration’s Attack on Public Engagement in the Regulatory Process

Link to the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards REPORT (PDF) - https://sensiblesafeguards.org/wp-content/uploads/Public-Participation-in-the-Reg-Process-Formatted-7-17-25-final.pdf