Biden’s legacy long game: Rain regulations — now

The Biden administration is pumping out dozens of federal rules this spring in a mad dash to cement the president’s legacy on everything from airfare refunds to beef labeling.

President Joe Biden and his allies are already campaigning on these policies, working to bolster his support among constituencies including young people, labor unions, rural communities and climate-conscious voters. But beyond the campaign trail, the timing of this blitz is designed to ensure that Biden’s policies have their best shot at surviving the deregulatory fervor of another potential Donald Trump White House and Republican-controlled Congress.

Biden’s agencies are trying to avoid making the same mistake as President Barack Obama, who left several key rules unfinished until late in the last year of his presidency. A law called the Congressional Review Act makes it easier for Congress to roll back federal rules within 60 legislative days after they are issued — a power Trump and his GOP allies tapped more effectively than any of his predecessors to trash regulations on issues like gun safety and labor protections in 2017.