Regulatory Rollbacks Defied Public Opinion to Reward Big Corporations

Massive bipartisan majorities supported the landmark regulatory protections rolled back in the Trump era, according to a report Public Citizen released today. "Lost Safeguards" features an introduction by longtime public protections champion U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and highlights 27 regulatory rollbacks from the past two years that have left Americans facing greater dangers on all fronts. The report includes links to dozens of polls showing that voters in both parties overwhelmingly supported protections that were repealed.

"After more than two years under President Donald Trump, our nation has lost a lot of intangible things: our national strength, unity and dignity, to name a few," Johnson said in the introduction. "Trump also has taken away tangible policies that have a direct effect on everyone - namely the protections authorized by Congress and set forth by federal agencies to shield everyday Americans from financial ruin, health hazards, unsafe workplaces, unlawful discrimination and unchecked pollution of our air and water. It's important that we remember what we've lost, so that we have a place to start when we build back these valuable safeguards."

Safeguards repealed in the Trump era would have:

• Increased wages and safety protections for tens of millions of workers;
• Preserved net neutrality and greater privacy for our online data;
• Made our air, land, water and vehicles cleaner;
• Protected women's health and safety;
• Stopped some of Wall Street's most reckless behavior;
• Prevented deadly oil and chemical disasters; and
• Allowed ripped-off consumers and students to hold corporate lawbreakers accountable.

Big corporations and industry trade associations are behind the war on regulation - spending billions to pressure and influence lawmakers. The major industries pushing for deregulation include Wall Street banks and credit card companies, big telecoms and internet service providers, the oil, gas, coal and mining industries, automakers, chemical companies and for-profit colleges.

"If you use the internet, have a bank account or credit card, drive a car, drink water or breathe air, you're being harmed by deregulation. The loss of so many landmark protections at the hands of corporate greed is one of the central stories of the Trump era," said Amit Narang, regulatory policy advocate for Public Citizen's Congress Watch division. "At every turn, the Trump administration and conservatives in Congress have defied voters in both parties to do the bidding of powerful and greedy corporations - rolling back safeguards that would have protected working Americans, our environment and our economy."