The Roosevelt Room
3:08 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody, for being here. I want to welcome many state and local leaders; and we’ve had them all over the White House today, and it’s a great honor — including Governor Eric Greitens of Missouri; Governor Gary Herbert of Utah; Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton of Kentucky — who are all at the White House and who are all doing something very, very important today.
I’m signing four bills under the Congressional Review Act. Before this administration only one time in our history had a President signed a bill that used the CRA to cancel a federal regulation. So we’re doing a lot of them, and they deserve to be done.
First House Joint Resolution 37 rolls back the so-called blacklisting rule. When I met with manufacturers earlier this year — and they were having a hard time, believe me — they said this blacklisting rule was one of the greatest threats to growing American business and hiring more American workers. It was a disaster they said. This rule made it too easy for trial lawyers to get rich by going after American companies and American workers who contract with the federal government — making it very difficult. You all know what I’m talking about, right?
PARTICIPANTS: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Does everybody agree? (Laughter.)
Next three bills I’m signing cancel three federal power grabs that centralize decision-making in Washington away from states and local governments, another big disaster.
House Joint Resolution 44 removes a Bureau of Land Management rule that took control of land-use decisions away from states and local decision makers and gave it to Washington, and that’s not good. That’s never good. (Laughter.) It’s proven, is that right?
A PARTICIPANT: Right.
THE PRESIDENT: Even though you’re from Washington. (Laughter.) You are —
A PARTICIPANT: No, we’re not. We work in Washington.
THE PRESIDENT: Definitely from Wisconsin. You have your choice.
The other two bills — House Joint Resolutions 57 and 58 — eliminate harmful burdens on state and local taxes on school systems that could have cost states hundreds of millions of dollars. So it’s the states and local-tax school systems, and that was very important. Parents, teachers, communities, and state leaders know the needs of their students better than anyone in Washington by far. So we’re removing these additional layers of bureaucracy to encourage more freedom and innovation in our schools.
I will keep working with Congress, with every agency, and most importantly with the American people until we eliminate every unnecessary, harmful, and job-killing regulation that we can find. We have a lot more coming. (Applause.)
Thank you. This one you all know — joint resolution.
(The resolution is signed.)
THE PRESIDENT: That’s going to save a lot of jobs. (Laughter and applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Who gets this pen?
A PARTICIPANT: I do. (Laughter.) Now, thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: That’s okay.
(The resolution is signed.)
THE PRESIDENT: Okay? (Applause.) (Laughter.) I met your father once. He’s been around a long time your father. He’s doing great. He’s doing great. He’s a great guy. He endorses me out of nowhere. I said that was a great investment. (Laughter.)
(The resolution is signed.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Tom, I’m going to give you the — right here because you’ve been so great, been my friend through thick and thin, right? Even if it doesn’t apply to you, I think I can give you the pen. (Laughter.)
(The resolution is signed.)
THE PRESIDENT: So I just want to thank everybody. It’s an honor. This was a lot of work for a lot of people to get this done, but it’s going to lead to a lot of good jobs and a lot less regulation. And it’s good for many, many, many people. So thank you all very much. (Applause.)
END
3:14 P.M. EDT
