A group of Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill on Wednesday that would compel top federal officials, including President Trump, to disclose how changes to regulations might benefit them financially.
The bill comes after a recent investigation by The New York Times and ProPublica showed that some appointees to the Trump administration’s deregulation teams had close industry connections and could be reviewing rules that their previous employers had tried to weaken or eliminate.
Mr. Trump established the teams at major federal agencies as part of his effort to roll back regulations, presenting industries with a new avenue for bucking rules they have long argued were hurting profits, depressing job creation and raising prices.
In addition to the president and members of deregulation teams, the legislation would require disclosures by senior White House advisers, including those who do not receive a government salary, and agency chiefs.
The bill’s author, Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island, was among a group of Democratic lawmakers who demanded in an August letter to the White House that the Trump administration disclose the names deregulation team members and documents related to their potential conflicts of interest. The administration did not respond to the letter.
