Moratorium on New Regulations

On January 20, 2009, Rahm Emanuel, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, issued a memorandum for the heads of executive departments and agencies regarding the President's plan for managing the Federal regulatory process at the beginning of his Administration. The memo states that, subject to exceptions, no proposed or final regulation is to be sent to the Office of the Federal Register for publication unless and until it has been reviewed and approved by a department or agency head appointed or designated by the President. Additionally, the memo indicates that all proposed and final regulations that have not been published in the Federal Register shall be withdrawn until they can be reviewed and approved. Further, it advises department and agency heads to consider extending for 60 days the effective date of the regulations that have been published in the Federal Register but not yet taken effect for the purpose of reviewing questions of law and policy raised by those regulations.