Agencies Cherry-Picked Shutdown Rule Loopholes, Critics Say (2)

The Justice Department circulated new guidance during the recent government shutdown that allowed a few favored rules to make it through despite the work stoppage.

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the White House Office of Management and Budget agency that reviews all significant federal regulations, wasn’t funded during the partial government shutdown from Dec. 22 through Jan. 25.

But that didn’t stop OIRA from concluding review of two guidance documents and a final regulation to carry out President Donald Trump‘s signature tax overhaul law. The Treasury Department was closed during the shutdown, and there was no legal ...