White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain issued January 20 a memorandum to the heads of all federal executive departments and agencies directing that new pending rules be held up until the President’s appointees or designees “have the opportunity to review them.” The January 20 memorandum directs that rules that have been sent to the Office of the Federal Register not be published. For rules that have been published in the Federal Register but not yet taken effect, Mr. Klain asks the department and agency heads to “consider postponing the rules’ effective dates for 60 days (March 26). Independent agencies, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, would not be affected.
White House orders freeze on issuance and implementation of new rules