Report Calls for Congressional Action to Cut Red Tape and Stop Agency Overreach

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senate Western Caucus Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Stevan Pearce (R-NM), released a new report entitled: "Red Tape Rush: Congressional Action Needed to Cut Red Tape and Stop Agency Overreach."

Under the Obama Administration, federal agencies have grown so powerful that it is nearly impossible to stop red tape that crushes jobs and prevents economic growth. In their report, Barrasso and Pearce call for immediate regulatory reform that gives businesses the ability to challenge federal agency overreach.

"Over the past four years, we've watched the Obama Administration repeatedly circumvent Congress in an attempt to regulate entire industries, like the coal industry, out of existence," said Barrasso. "Until Congress regains control over the regulatory process, Washington agencies will continue to push forward with their job-crushing, anti-growth agendas. We have legislation that is ready right now to cut red tape and rein in Washington regulations. Congress should pass these bills immediately and give America's job-creators the certainty they need to grow and create new jobs in the West and across the country."

"Congress must act on legislation to end the red tape that is strangling job creators – particularly in the West," said Pearce. "The Obama Administration continues to implement thousands of new overreaching regulations every month, at the cost of America's small businesses and jobs. These crushing regulatory efforts play into the president's ‘none-of-the-above' energy plan, which continues to prevent job creation and places handcuffs on America's employers. With over 12.3 million Americans still out of work, now is not the time to increase the regulatory burdens already crippling our businesses."

Key Findings From the Report:

ü Under the Obama Administration, federal agencies have greatly expanded their authority into the constitutional lawmaking role of Congress.

ü Activist groups have taken advantage of this regulatory overreach to successfully achieve significant policy changes that block economic growth across the country.

ü President Obama's second term is expected to bring even more excessive regulations that burden small business owners and discourage job creation. As the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board reported on November 23rd, 2012, "…this new regulatory flood will increase costs and uncertainty."

ü Unless Congress immediately passes regulatory reform to reassert its traditional lawmaking authority, Americans will continue to see Washington red tape destroy their jobs.

ü In 2012, the House of Representatives passed three pieces of legislation that will cut red tape and put Congress back in charge of policy:

1. Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 3010/S. 1606)
2. Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development Act (RAPID Act, H.R. 4078)
3. Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act (H.R. 3862/S. 3382)

ü Senators have introduced many of these bills. We need to pass them immediately so that we can level the playing field for Congress to enact sound economic policies that create jobs. Other key legislation needs to be identified that can also rein in federal agencies and anti-job activist groups.