Many economists and other professionals looked on in dismay when President Trump issued executive orders and supporting guidance documents that appear to target regulations for elimination based primarily on their costs rather than a balanced assessment that includes benefits.
Accordingly, we joined 93 economists and lawyers in signing a letter to high-ranking officials of the Trump administration, including Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who issued the orders and guidance and is responsible for monitoring and enforcing them.
The plain wording of Executive Orders 13771 and 13777 and the related guidance places an outsized focus on regulatory costs—but we hope, as some have suggested, that is not what the administration intends. The letter explains these concerns and offers constructive suggestions for improving regulatory analysis and implementation. The views expressed by the signatories are their own and should not be their attributed to their respective institutions.
We urge the Trump administration to take this letter seriously and act accordingly.
Read the full letter including signatories [here].
Only 95? I suspect that if they had asked they could have gotten at least 100 to sign. Triple digits, think about it.
