Under President Biden's leadership, the Federal Register has witnessed an unprecedented surge in regulatory pages, surpassing all previous presidential administrations. As of December 3, 2024, the Biden administration has published a staggering 96,088 pages, exceeding the previous record held by President Obama's final year in office, which reached 95,894 pages. This volume of regulations underscores a significant expansion of federal intervention across various sectors.
The Federal Register, a daily publication managed by the National Archives and Records Administration, documents new and revised federal regulations. While the page count isn't a perfect measure of regulatory burden, it reflects the scale of government involvement in the economy. Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, emphasizes that the 2024 Federal Register serves as a clear indication of the extensive regulatory landscape, with potential for further growth.
In contrast, during President Trump's first term, the Federal Register experienced its fourth-largest page count in its final year. However, this increase was attributed to factors like the removal of existing regulations and emergency measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, President Trump's first year in office, 2017, saw the fewest pages added to the register since Bill Clinton's presidency in 1993. Trump's Executive Order 13771, implemented in 2017, mandated the elimination of two regulations for every new one added, resulting in net cost savings during his first term. He has indicated plans to amplify these deregulation efforts in his second term, aiming to remove ten regulations for each new one introduced.
Machalagh Carr, director of the Center for Legal Action at the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, expressed optimism about the incoming Trump administration, anticipating a shift in regulatory policy. Carr criticized the Biden administration's approach to regulation, suggesting a hostile stance towards businesses and an overreliance on government intervention. While Fox News Digital sought comment from both the Biden and Trump representatives, no responses were received prior to publication.
