Federal Agencies Roll Back Regulations to Accelerate Infrastructure and Business

2025-09-11

The Weight of Dawn’s Promise by DALL-E 3

Federal Agencies Roll Back Regulations to Accelerate Infrastructure and Business

Bread and Circus: The Complete Record of American Governance

Today’s newsletter covers official U.S. government happenings from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches yesterday, as well as key economic indicators. Below, you’ll find concise summaries of each document, with links to the original sources for further reading.

What Happened Yesterday:

🦅 Executive Branch: 4 documents (1 Presidential Action, 2 Proposed Rules, 1 Rule)
🏛️ Legislative Branch: 3 documents (1 Congressional Record - Daily Digest, 1 Congressional Record - House Section, 1 Congressional Record - Senate Section)
⚖️ Judicial Branch: No activity
📊 Economic Indicators: 2 documents (2 Bureau of Labor Statistics press releases)
Total words condensed: 89,933 into 1,739

The Big Picture

This week’s government activity highlights a mix of remembrance, regulatory shifts, and legislative action with real-world consequences. The White House’s formal proclamation for Patriot Day on September 11, 2025, marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, encouraging nationwide reflection and education about the event’s lasting impact. Meanwhile, federal agencies are adjusting rules to ease burdens on businesses: the Commodity Futures Trading Commission withdrew a cybersecurity rule for certain financial firms, and the Department of Energy streamlined the approval process for cross-border electric power lines starting September 12. These changes aim to reduce red tape and speed up infrastructure projects, potentially improving market stability and energy reliability.

On Capitol Hill, Congress is actively shaping national defense funding and immigration enforcement, passing a bill to increase penalties for illegal re-entry after removal and debating key military and Federal Reserve nominations. The House also formed a committee to investigate unresolved questions about the January 6, 2021 events, signaling ongoing oversight priorities. Economic data from August 2025 shows that while wages rose modestly over the past year, inflation—especially in housing and used cars—continues to outpace pay increases in the short term, squeezing household budgets. Together, these developments reflect a government balancing commemoration, deregulation, security, and economic challenges, with policy shifts that could affect business operations and everyday costs in the months ahead.

Pattern to Watch

There is a clear trend toward deregulation and streamlining federal processes to support business and infrastructure development. The withdrawal of the CFTC’s proposed cybersecurity rule, the Department of Energy’s simplified permitting for international power lines effective September 12, and the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to rescind a 2024 conservation rule all point to a policy environment favoring reduced regulatory complexity. This pattern suggests an emphasis on facilitating economic activity and energy projects by cutting procedural delays and paperwork. If future announcements continue to roll back or ease regulations—especially in sectors like energy, finance, and land use—it could signal a sustained government effort to prioritize growth and operational flexibility over stricter oversight. Monitoring upcoming public comments on the BLM’s proposal and any further regulatory rollbacks will be key indicators of this trend’s persistence or expansion.

🦅 Executive Branch

White House

On September 11, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued a formal proclamation declaring that day as Patriot Day, marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This proclamation calls on all U.S. government departments and agencies to lower the American flag to half-staff to honor the 2,977 people who died in the attacks. It also invites state governors, organizations, and individuals to observe the day by remembering the victims and encouraging young people to learn about the events and their impact. The legal basis for this action is a law passed by Congress in 2001 that officially made September 11 a day of remembrance. This proclamation affects government agencies, state leaders, and the public by encouraging a nationwide act of remembrance and reflection on the attacks and their lasting effects. Read full document →

Federal Register

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) decided not to move forward with a new rule it proposed in January 2024 that would have required certain financial companies—called futures commission merchants, swap dealers, and major swap participants—to have strong plans to protect their computer systems, manage outside helpers, and keep their businesses running during problems. These companies are often part of big banks that already have similar rules to follow. Because of this, the CFTC officially withdrew the proposed rule on September 8, 2025, meaning these companies do not have to follow this new rule now. This matters because it avoids adding extra rules for these companies, which helps them focus on the rules they already follow to keep financial markets safe and working well for everyone. Read full document →
The Department of Energy changed the rules about how companies ask for permission to build and run electric power lines that cross the U.S. border. These changes remove some detailed paperwork and steps that used to make the process slower and more expensive. The new rules started on September 12, 2025, and apply to anyone who wants to build or operate these international electric transmission lines. This matters because it can make it easier and faster to set up important power connections with other countries, which can help keep electricity flowing and prices stable for everyone. Read full document →
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wants to cancel a rule made in May 2024 called the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, which set new ways to protect and manage public lands. This change would affect anyone who uses public lands for things like farming, mining, or energy work. People can send their opinions about this change by November 10, 2025. The BLM says the old rule made it harder to use the land for many different purposes and gave too much power to stop activities like grazing or mining. By removing this rule, the BLM aims to make it easier to balance using the land for work and protecting nature, which could help businesses and communities that depend on public lands. This change also means fewer paperwork rules and faster decisions about land use. Read full document →

🏛️ Legislative Branch

Congressional Record

On September 11, 2025, Congress took several important steps. The Senate worked on the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026, which funds the military and related programs, and debated how to approve many government job nominations together, but had close votes before agreeing to move forward on September 15. They also started considering Stephen Miran’s nomination to the Federal Reserve Board. The House passed a bill called the Stop Illegal Entry Act (H.R.3486) to increase penalties for people who enter the U.S. illegally after being removed, with a vote of 226 to 197. The House also tried but failed to instruct conferees on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill (H.R.3944) by a narrow vote of 211 to 213. Additionally, the House appointed members to a new committee to investigate remaining questions about the January 6, 2021 events. These actions matter because they affect national defense funding, immigration enforcement, government appointments, and oversight of important national events. Read full document →
Random excerpts from the Senate

No one who lived through that day will ever forget the shock, the terror, and the tremendous wave of resolve. We saw the worst of which humanity is capable in the attacks, but we saw the very best of America in the aftermath--the heroic passengers on Flight 93; the firemen who walked up the stairs, into the towers, as civilians were running down; the ordinary Americans who rushed to help; the lines to donate blood; the vast donations raised; the renewed sense of patriotism and national unity. Twenty-four years on, most of the visible scars of the attacks are gone. The Pentagon and One World Trade Center stand proudly. But my thoughts and prayers on this anniversary remain with those who still bear the invisible scars of that day--with them and with all those in the years since who have stood between our country and terror.

— Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Majority Leader

Yesterday, political activist Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking to students on a college campus--a place that is set up for the exchange of ideas. He was just 31 years old, a husband, a father of young children. I pray for his wife Erika and for his children who must now make their way without him. And his death comes on the heels of the devastating assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman of Minnesota, victims of premeditated political violence. This should shock the conscience of every American, and it should cause all of us to rise up and say: Enough.

— Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA)

These two excerpts stand out for their emotional resonance and grandstanding on solemn and controversial issues: the 24th anniversary of 9/11 and the recent politically motivated murder of Charlie Kirk. Both speeches emphasize national unity and the gravity of political violence, framing these moments as defining for the country’s democratic values and social fabric. The Thune speech evokes patriotism and remembrance, while Warnock’s speech calls for condemnation of political violence across the spectrum and stresses the need for civil discourse.
Read full document →

⚖️ Judicial Branch

No activity today.

📊 Economic Indicators

Bureau of Labor Statistics

In August 2025, the amount of money workers earned per hour, after adjusting for price changes, went down a little bit by 0.1% compared to July. This happened because while workers’ pay before adjusting for prices went up by 0.3%, prices for things people buy went up even more, by 0.4%. For workers who do hands-on jobs, their pay after prices stayed the same from July to August because their pay and prices both rose by 0.4%. Looking at the whole year from August 2024 to August 2025, workers’ pay after prices went up by 0.7%, and for hands-on workers, it went up by 1.1%. This means that over the year, workers are generally able to buy a little more with their earnings, but in the short term, rising prices are making it harder for pay increases to keep up. This matters because it affects how much people can afford to buy with their wages and how their living costs change. Read full document →
In August 2025, prices for things people buy every day went up by 0.4% after a smaller 0.2% rise in July, meaning things are getting a bit more expensive. Over the past year, prices rose by 2.9%, with food prices increasing 3.2% and energy prices barely changing, up just 0.2%. The biggest price increases were for housing costs, which went up 0.4% in August and 3.6% over the year, and for used cars, which rose 1% in August and 6% over the year. Some prices, like medical care, actually went down slightly in August. This shows that while overall prices are rising moderately, housing and car costs are pushing inflation higher, which can make it harder for families to afford rent and transportation. Understanding these changes helps people plan their budgets and shows how the economy is affecting everyday costs. Read full document →

Sources Covered Today

White House: Patriot Day 2025, the 24th Anniversary of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks
Federal Register: Operational Resilience Framework for Futures Commission Merchants, Swap Dealers, and Major Swap Participants; Withdrawal of Proposed Regulatory Action
Federal Register: Application for Presidential Permit Authorizing the Construction, Connection, Operation, and Maintenance of Facilities for Transmission of Electric Energy at International Boundaries
Federal Register: Rescission of Conservation and Landscape Health Rule
Congressional Record: Congressional Record - September 11, 2025 - Daily Digest (Vol. 171, No. 149)
Congressional Record: Congressional Record - September 11, 2025 - House Section (Vol. 171, No. 149)
Congressional Record: Congressional Record - September 11, 2025 - Senate Section (Vol. 171, No. 149)
BLS: Real Earnings
BLS: Consumer Price Index

All U.S. Government Activity Yesterday:

Presidential actions issued: 1
Regulations: 3
Bills presented to president: 0
Bills that became law: 0
Supreme Court opinions issued: 0
Supreme Court oral arguments: 0

This is your daily record of history unfolding — no spin, just facts. For 342,466,086 people in the United States, this was yesterday.

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