A new way to gut Obama regulations

Republicans are going wild over Kim Strassel's "Potomac Watch" column in the WSJ, "A GOP Regulatory Game Changer." The piece discusses how legal experts are arguing that Congress can use the Congressional Review Act to overrule and dismantle Obama regulations going back to 2009.

Why this matters: The accepted understanding in Washington is that the CRA can only used against new regulations, specifically those finalized in the past 60 legislative days.

"This is aggressive, sure, and would take intestinal fortitude. Some Republicans briefed on the plan are already fretting that Democrats will howl. They will," said Strassel.

Reaction: Conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt this morning tweeted that he hopes the Drudge Report "puts a red siren" on Strassel's column, adding that it may be the most significant column he's read in years.

What's next: A Republican source says conservative staff and think tanks throughout D.C. are starting to dig into the legality of this. "[I]t's a novel idea, but would be a game changer if true. I think the procedural hurdles in the Senate might be messier than this piece states, but opens up all kinds of doors if it works."