The Biden administration now holds the record for adding the most pages to the Federal Register.
According to Fox News, President Joe Biden's regime has surpassed the previous page-count record, indicating an increase in federal regulatory actions.
The Federal Register, officiated by the National Archives and Records Administration, serves as the daily journal for the U.S. government, documenting all new and amended federal rules and regulations.
As of early December 2024, the Biden administration had compiled a staggering 96,088 pages in just this year alone, a figure that is projected to rise beyond 100,000 by the year's end, setting a new record in governmental regulatory publications.
This new high surpasses the former record set by President Barack Obama in his last year of office when the Federal Register filled up to 95,894 pages. This shift signifies a robust expansion in the volume of federal regulations under the current administration.
Underformer President Donald Trump's administration, the Federal Register saw notable fluctuations. President Trump, who advocated for cutting back on regulations, issued Executive Order 13771 in 2017, stipulating the removal of two regulations for each new one introduced.
His tenure witnessed a sharp decrease in the growth of regulatory pages as part of broader deregulation efforts, which included strong responses to emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contrastingly, the Biden administration's record demonstrates an intensified regulatory activity—this at a time when President Trump has broadcasted his intention, if re-elected, to amplify his deregulation campaign, proposing the removal of ten regulations for each new one implemented.
According to Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, "Federal Register page counts are a highly imperfect gauge of regulatory burden. Biden’s milestone, though, still underscores the expanding scope of federal intervention." Crews suggests, "The record-setting 2024 Federal Register provides a stark reminder of the scale of the regulatory state, and it ain’t even done yet."
Machalagh Carr, director of the Center for Legal Action at the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, criticized the Biden administration's approach in an interview with Fox News Digital:
The political appointees at the helm of the Biden administration are perceived as being adverse to the sectors that drive the American economy, according to Carr. She elaborates on her viewpoint by stating the administration's regulatory strategy over the past four years has stifled American business through an overwhelming cascade of impractical regulations and mandates.
This sharp increase in regulatory pages under President Biden has sparked an array of responses across different sectors, reflecting the diverse views on the role of government in economic regulation and innovation.
In conclusion, President Joe Biden's administration has now set a notable record for the number of pages added to the Federal Register, indicating a substantial rise in federal regulatory activity. This development has led to varied reactions from different sectors, highlighting the ongoing debate about the balance between regulatory oversight and economic freedom. The record set this year not only marks a historic moment but also sets the stage for further discussions on regulatory impact and governance strategies moving forward into future administrations.
