In the News

U.S. Rep. French Hill periodically singles out a government program or agency that he believes is wasting taxpayer money and gives it what he calls a “Golden Fleece Award.”

But this month, he decided to bestow the award on an entire administration, saying that newly issued last-minute regulations promulgated under President Barack Obama will cause harm.

Hill, a Republican from Little Rock, cited a study by the American Action Forum, a Republican-leaning nonprofit group, that claims the rules will inflict a $6 billion hit on the U.S. economy.

Hill highlighted Housepassed legislation that would make it easier to reverse any last-minute changes once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

The late U.S. Sen. William Proxmire, D-Wis., was the original creator of the Golden Fleece Award, using it to highlight government spending that he considered wasteful.

After his election to Congress in 2014, Hill resurrected the award.