U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt files first bill

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt has filed the first bill of his term -- named the ERASER Act.

The Missouri Republican was sworn into office this January after winning former Sen. Roy Blunt's seat while serving as Missouri attorney general. About five months later, Schmitt filed the Expediting Reform and Stopping Excess Regulations Act, or ERASER Act.

"To reduce the burden on Missourians and Americans and to claw that power away from unelected bureaucrats, I introduced the ERASER Act to ensure that burdensome and outdated regulations are repealed before any new regulations are put forward," Schmitt said in a news release.

The ERASER Act aims to reduce federal regulations. If passed, this bill would require three federal regulations to be removed before another can be implemented. The cost of the new regulation must be equal to or less than the three removed.

This bill builds on a 2017 executive order from Former President Donald Trump that required agencies to remove two regulations in order to issue a new one.

“This is an important step in reducing the regulatory burden on Missourians and Americans and affecting much-needed structural reform," Schmitt said. "I will continue to fight to get government off of the backs of Missourians and Americans, and ensure that power is returned to where it belongs: the people.” 

The ERASER Act is co-sponsored by Missouri's senior senator, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley.