Some Republican lawmakers and business groups are warning that federal regulations put on hold during President Obama's re-election bid could be America's new "fiscal cliff."

For months federal agencies and the White House put dozens of regulations aside, everything from new rules on power plant pollution to workplace safety, and even crackdowns on Wall Street.

Now critics say the Obama administration is quietly placing them back on the table.

They say the president side-tracked heavy regulation during the campaign to avoid being labeled a power-hungry candidate who kills U.S. jobs.