Conservatives should sue and settle

CNN reported, "The Justice Department has reached a settlement to settle four lawsuits by protesters who were forcibly cleared out of Washington’s Lafayette Square during a racial justice protest outside the White House in 2020.

"The US Park Police and the US Secret Service have agreed to revise their policies toward demonstrations and crowd control, according to a settlement filed in DC’s federal court."

This was not a protest.

It was a mob celebrating an attempt to burn down a historic church.

How much money exchanged hands was not disclosed, but once again a Democrat administration used a lawsuit by its supporters to get what it wanted without going through Congress. They sued. Democrats settled.

Over the decades, environmentalists used sue-and-settle to make 100 changes in the law without any public input or congressional oversight.

Trump tried to ban it.

On October 24, 2017, the EPA announced, "EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced a significant shift in EPA policy last week, making clear with his 'Directive Promoting Transparency and Public Participation in Consent Decrees and Settlement Agreements' that the agency is no longer amenable to setting enforceable deadlines for EPA action through the settlement process or committing to undertake discretionary actions that are not required by statute. 'Sue and Settle,' as the practice has pejoratively come to be known, occurs when a third-party sues EPA over the agency’s purported failure to issue a regulation by the date required in the underlying statute or in a manner consistent with law. Traditionally, EPA and the third-party could negotiate a settlement that requires the agency to issue a new regulation or alter an existing rule. (Longstanding Department of Justice policy prohibits EPA and other agencies from agreeing in a settlement or consent decree to a specific rulemaking outcome.)"

That approach failed as Biden reversed it.

The next Republican president must use sue-and-settle to make permanent changes to the EPA and every other agency in the government. Don't like something? Sue and have the politically appointed agency head settle for everything you wanted.

But start with the January 6 political hostages.

Pardon them and then have them sue the feds for $1 million each for violating their rights.

Settle for $999,999 each. Save taxpayers $200. Brag about the savings.

Republicans have complained about sue and settle for years.

On August 4, 2015, the Hill reported, "Senate Republicans criticized the Obama administration and environmental groups Tuesday for what they said is a pattern of lawsuits that are settled to change and influence regulations.

"Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) called the hearing of the Environment and Public Works Committee to examine how “sue-and-settle” tactics influence the Environmental Protection Agecy’s (EPA) regulations and endangered species determinations at the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

"With both agencies, the GOP says environmental groups bring lawsuits to force officials to write regulations by a certain time, and the Obama administration settles them and agrees to the demands.

"'These agreements are often negotiated behind closed doors, with little to no transparency or public input,' said Rounds, chairman of the subcommittee focused on regulatory oversight.

"'As a result, major regulations that cost billions of dollars, stifle economic growth and inhibit job creation are being made by unelected bureaucrats in Washington who think that they know what is best for everyone,' he said.

"Rounds said the states and companies affected by the settlements are not included in the negotiations or consulted about their impacts."

His complaints got him a headline but nothing else.

I say fight fire with marshmallows. Democrats created this fire. Let's use it to make OUR s'mores.

Sue to stop abortion funding.

Sue to gut Obamacare.

Sue to defang the FBI.

And settle, settle, settle.

UPDATE: Bonus post at 7 PM.