On Wednesday and Thursday, the House voted to repeal 5 federal rules that were finalized at the end of Obama’s term. Republicans have been active at work using the powers granted them by the Congressional Review Act, which had only been used to successfully repeal a regulation once before this year.

Retirement Insecurity

Republicans began their CRA spree on Wednesday by disapproving of two Department of Labor rules that gave states, cities, and counties legal clarity under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to establish retirement savings plans for private sector workers who do not have access to any such plan at work. According to AARP, almost half of private sector workers age 18 to 64 do not have any work-based retirement savings or pension plan. Social Security was designed to be a part of a three-legged stool, along with employer pensions and private savings; however, that first leg is increasingly being knocked out from under people.

To address this, states such as California, Illinois, Oregon, Connecticut, Washington, New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts have passed legislation to provide private sector workers a publicly administered retirement savings option. New York City became the first city to offer such a plan last year. The financial industry has opposed such measures because publicly administered plans cut into its profits.

The resolution targeting state plans (H.J.Res. 66) passed 231 to 193. One Democrat — Henry Cuellar (TX-28) — voted for it. Three Republicans — Rodney Davis (IL-13), Walter Jones (NC-03), and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27) — voted against it.

The resolution targeting city and county plans (H.J.Res. 67) passed 234 to 191. Cuellar again voted for it, and Ros-Lehtinen again voted against it.

Drug Testing the Unemployed

On Wednesday, the House also passed H.J.Res. 42, which repeals a Department of Labor rule that defined criteria by which state Unemployment Insurance programs can drug test individuals. The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 limited state programs’ authority to drug test UI claimants to two cases: (1) individuals who lost their jobs due to drug use and (2) individuals who are applying for occupations that require drug testing. The DOL rule in question defined the scope of occupations that would fall under (2). Repealing the rule would allow for widespread use of drug testing by states — a costly violation of Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches that only serves to humiliate the unemployed or discourage people from seeking out benefits they are entitled to.

The resolution passed 236 to 189. Four Democrats voted for it — Jim Cooper (TN-05), Dan Lipinski (IL-03), Collin Peterson (MN-07), and Kurt Schrader (OR-05). One Republican — Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (IL-27) — voted against it.

Animal Cruelty

On Thursday, the House passed H.J.Res. 69, which disapproves of a rule from the Department of Interior (Fish and Wildlife Service) that prohibits recreational and state-sponsored killing of keystone predator species like gray wolves, coyotes, and black bears in national wildlife refuges in Alaska unless the killings are consistent with federal law and based on sound conservation science. The rule prevents certain particularly egregious practices such as shooting bears from helicopters, killing brown or black bear cubs or mothers with cubs, and killing wolves and wolf pups in their dens. It also updates procedures around closing refuge lands for conservation reasons (including allowing for greater public input in such decisions).

It passed 225 to 193. 5 Democrats voted for it with the GOP. 10 Republicans voted against it.

The 5 Democrats were Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Ron Kind (WI-03), Collin Peterson (MN-07), and Filemon Vela (TX-34).

Here are the 10 Republicans: Dan Donovan (NY-11), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Pete King (NY-02), Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02), Tom MacArthur (NJ-03), Martha McSally (AZ-02), Dave Reichert (WA-08), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (IL-27), Chris Smith (NJ-04), and Fred Upton (MI-06).

Family Planning

On Thursday, the House also voted to pass H.J.Res. 43, which disapproves of a rule issued by HHS last December that specified that states cannot prohibit health care providers from receiving Title X grants for family planning services for any reason other than an inability to provide Title X services (e.g., contraceptive services, natural family planning methods, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, HIV testing and prevention, cervical and breast cancer screening, etc.)

Nearly four million patients receive family planning services at Title X sites annually across the United States, and more than two-thirds of them had incomes at or below the federal poverty line. For 61% of such patients, Title X clinics are their only regular source of health care services.

The resolution passed 230 to 188. Two Democrats — Dan Lipinski (IL-03) and Collin Peterson (MN-07) — voted with the GOP. Two Republicans — Charlie Dent (PA-15) and John Faso (NY-19) — voted with the Democrats.