President Trump is reportedly close to filling the position that will be instrumental in helping him reach his goal of eliminating 75 percent of all federal regulations.
News sources have identified lobbyist Paul Noe and law professor Neomi Rao as the finalists for the job as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), a division of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that oversees the implementation of government-wide policies and reviews draft regulations.
The new OIRA chief will be charged with repealing a number of Obama-era regulations.
D.C. observers say both Noe and Rao are opposed to regulations. Noe has lobbied the OIRA in his role as vice president for public policy at the American Forest & Paper Association. Rao launched the Center for the Study of the Administrative State at George Mason University.