Federal regulations on House agenda

December 2, 2011

The Daily Record

This week, we will vote in the House on two more bills addressing the massive influx of federal regulations we have seen over the last several years. The Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011 would require agencies account for negative impacts regulations have on small businesses and to provide alternative, less intrusive regulations.

The Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 would ensure federal agencies give advanced notice for any regulations that would cost our economy $100 million or more.

Both of these pieces of legislation address the significant cost major regulations have on our economy. They also increase transparency in the regulatory process. That in turn will lessen the influence of special interests on the rule making process.

The American people deserve to know when the federal government is preparing to impose costly new rules before they are put in place. Businesses, especially the small ones that are responsible for seven out of every 10 new jobs created, continue to report that over-regulation presents a major barrier to job creation.

They need to know new regulations will not be implemented before they can address the ones currently on the books. The uncertainty the ever-growing mountain of federal regulation creates -- combined with massive federal spending -- means businesses won't hire or expand.

These two bills address one of the root causes of our stagnant economy and bring the total number of bipartisan bills directly addressing job creation passed by the House to 24. We are awaiting action in the Senate on all of them.

Also this week we voted in the House to reduce federal spending by ending taxpayer funding of presidential election campaigns. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the elimination of this program will save American taxpayers $447 million over the next five years and return almost $200 million to the public treasury for deficit reduction immediately.

The program does not involve a huge amount of money in Washington terms, but the American people need to know we are spending their tax dollars wisely, looking for places to make targeted cuts and prioritize what is truly important in these tough times.

This is a common sense move to eliminate an outdated program, because the last things American taxpayers should be funding right now are presidential campaigns.

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