President Donald Trump's repeal of an anti-corruption rule that required extractive industries — like mining, oil drilling and quarrying — to disclose payments to foreign governments has caused dismay among people who advocate for the poor and for transparency in government.
The repealed rule was written under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The newly empowered Republican Congress overturned it through the Congressional Review Act, a legislative tactic used successfully just once since 1996, when it was first created by Newt Gingrich. The repeal of the Securities and Exchange Commission rule was the first bill signed by Trump when he took office.