Senate Panel Moves Regulatory Bills to Aid Economic Recovery (1)

Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced two long-controversial regulatory-overhaul bills they say will help the economy.

The panel signed off Wednesday on the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (S. 92) and the Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 4077)—updated versions of proposals that have been considered in each of the previous four sessions of Congress without success.

The REINS Act, advanced by a vote of 8-5, would require Congress to vote on all significant regulations before they could go into effect. The unfunded mandates bill, advanced ...