The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 created the Office of Information and Regulatory Affair (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget (Office of Management and Budget ). Executive Order 12291, issued by President Reagan in 1981, gave OIRA the responsibility to review the subject matter of government agency’ regulatory actions before publication in the Federal Register. The Office’s regulatory review persona was initially highly controversial, and it has been criticized throughout the past decades as being both too active and too passive, in regard to agency rules. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum critics fall on however, many believe OIRA is one of the most important, if relatively unknown, sources of government power in relation to the Executive branch and the Administrative state. Although OIRA has a number of specific statutory responsibilities (e.g., paperwork review and regulatory accounting), as a constituent of OMB it is part of the Executive Office of the President, and helps ensure that covered agencies’ rules reflect the President’s policies and priorities.

As our final event of our Executive Branch Review week, Paul Ray, head of OIRA, joins us to discuss his work and the current relevant issues facing the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

Featuring:
-- Hon. Paul J. Ray, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget