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TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY

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How to Rein in Stifling Regulations That Hurt Companies and Kill Jobs

January 19, 2017
Staff

WRITER

How do we restrict the power of political appointees to federal agencies, stopping them from creating industry-stifling and job-killing regulations?

"The first thing you do is you give the power back to Congress," Glenn said Wednesday on radio.

Passing the REINS Act (Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act) would do just that, increasing accountability for and transparency in the federal regulatory process by requiring Congress to approve all new major regulations.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has been a vocal supporter of the REINS Act.

"He says this will fix 90 percent of what is wrong with regulation," Glenn said.

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

GLENN: So one of the things I found really interesting in that was it wasn't, as the author writes, and he was living through it in the 1930s -- this was a book that was written in the 1930s and then found later by his family and published in the 2000s. He said, "What made it so dangerous is that everyone dismissed everything that was going on by Hitler and prior to Hitler because first, it was an emergency. And we had to do these things because it was an emergency during the Weimar Republic." And then it became -- it became settled. Everything kind of settled down. And Hitler came in.

And when Hitler came in, they said -- he said the argument for what Hitler was doing, by everybody, the normalcy bias -- everybody was looking for it to be normal. And everybody was saying, "No, he's doing it exactly constitutional. He's doing it exactly the right way. He's demanding that it be done the right way."

And so everything -- every law was passed. It was very important, Adolf Hitler, that it was done exactly right at the beginning.

STU: Right. Partially because he had already had so many legal problems. And, you know, he tried to overturn the government earlier and went to prison.

GLENN: Correct.

STU: So he was constantly trying to justify that his organization was lawful --

GLENN: Is legitimate. Was legitimate and lawful. And then, of course, in the end, everything was suspended, and it became him. And so he had his way.

So make no mistake, fascism and totalitarianism can happen through lawlessness or by controlling the government and passing all of the exact laws and dotting all the I's. That cannot be done with our Constitution because of the Bill of Rights.

You cannot pass laws that spy on people, that round people up, that border people into your homes, that hold you without trial. None of that. The one thing that Hitler did not have was the Constitution of the United States. No country on earth has the Constitution.

If we dismiss it now in easy times, when hard times come, it will for sure be dismissed. And then all of your protections go away. And it is the law that is doing it to you.

And believe me, we're going to be telling a story of a lawsuit that has happened to me recently that my First Amendment attorneys could not believe.

And it was -- it had everything to do with the United States government. The things the government claims they can do and now do, will astonish you. To the point to where I said to my attorney, "Wait a minute. There's no way for my -- there's no way for me to defend myself because the government is holding all the cards and we have no access to any of those cards, even though they admit they have the cards." Yes.

Well, why can't I get those cards to defend myself?

Well, the Constitution requires them. If it is in your defense, you have to be able to have them.

So why aren't they giving them?

Because they claim they don't have to do it anymore.

JEFFY: Oh, okay.

GLENN: I'm telling you, when it is you that is sitting across from the government and the government holds all of the cards and you no longer have power, you no longer work for you and the government no longer works for you, you now answer to the government. When they have that kind of total control, you're in trouble. And we're already there. They just haven't exercised it, in any meaningful way.

But we're already there. You cannot lose anymore rights. The Constitution -- we all love the Constitution, period. No "but." Period.

Mark, you're on the Glenn Beck Program. Hello, Mark. Yes, go ahead.

CALLER: Hello, I'm here. Can you hear me now?

GLENN: Yes, go ahead.

CALLER: Okay. Hey. Hi to you and the guys there.

Hey, you know, when you have bureaucrats in office, especially when they're liberal, it's almost impossible to get rid of them. I was reading an article a month ago. There was a 122 positions that were usually political appointees that the -- civil service department heads deemed 87 of them now as permanent jobs that Obama has filled. So how do we go about getting those changed back so that way the role of the president can be done? Constitutionally, can he do it?

GLENN: You do -- yeah. A couple things, yes, because all of the departments are under the president of the United States.

CALLER: Yeah. But how do you get rid of those bureaucrats, who are entrenched, who pass these, quote, unquote, mandates and laws like the EPA and stuff?

GLENN: You do this -- the first thing you do is you give the power back to Congress. And you support, what is it, the REINS Act, which actually gives the power back to Congress. Nothing can be passed by these departments. They cannot act on their own. Congress writes all laws, which is a redrawing of the lines of the Constitution and just making the Constitution in bolder print and taking away the power of -- of the -- so you won't have to worry about anything future.

Then the best way to --

CALLER: Does Paul Ryan and McConnell have the backbone for it?

GLENN: I don't know.

STU: I think they might pass that. I think they might actually -- I think it might actually get through. Obviously, Trump would need to sign it. But I think he would.

GLENN: It is the number one agenda item for people in the freedom movement, and it's --

STU: Mike Lee in particular has led the charge on this, among others.

GLENN: Yeah. He says this will fix 90 percent of what is wrong with regulation.

STU: Yeah, any big regulation that costs -- I don't know. Was it $100 million or more? I think that's the number. Has to go back and go through Congress.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.