Congressman Jeff Miller Newsletter December 4, 2011

House Republicans were elected last year on a message of jobs, and we have never lost focus on that mission.  It has been, and continues to be, our number one priority, and throughout the year we have passed nearly 30 jobs bills that would help create jobs and improve the economy.    Unfortunately, more than 20 of these bills are still stuck in the Senate abyss and may never see the light of day. 

The difference between House Republicans and Senate Democrats has always been action versus inaction.  When we say we want to create jobs and lower unemployment, we back our words with action and pass legislation that supports job growth.  Our colleagues in the upper chamber love to talk about jobs, but where is the action?  Where are the jobs?

Just this week, House Republicans added two more jobs bills to the Senate’s ever-growing pile of legislation that would help provide jobs for Americans.  The Senate only needs to pick up our bills, consider them, and send them to the President for signature.  We can promote an economic environment that allows companies to hire again by liberating them from the excessively-burdensome rules mandated by the federal government.

On Thursday, we passed a jobs bill that would require federal agencies to analyze fully the impact any proposed regulation would have on small businesses before adopting the new regulation.  H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, would expand the coverage of economic analysis on new rulemaking to include indirect effects on small entities and would require greater public comment and participation on proposed rules.  Furthermore, it would eliminate the ability of agencies to waive or delay the economic impact analysis.  Despite the fact that an analysis on the economic impact of new regulations on small businesses is already required, agencies have increasingly used their loophole provisions to avoid undertaking a proper analysis.  This has led to countless regulations that hinder job growth.  The Small Business Administration recently estimated that federal rulemaking imposes a cumulative burden on the U.S. economy of $1.75 trillion, with small businesses bearing the largest burden of these regulations.  H.R. 527 is yet another step in our efforts to decrease government overregulation.

We passed another jobs bill on Friday – H.R. 3010, or the Regulatory Accountability Act, which would require federal agencies to choose the lowest cost rulemaking alternative that meets the statutory objectives laid out in law.  The bill also would require advanced notice of major proposed rules in order to increase public participation.  It includes important safeguards when new rules are set forth to protect public health or safety, but would require that these benefits outweigh the cost.  Overall, H.R. 3010 makes the regulatory process more transparent, agencies more accountable, and regulations more cost-effective.

Together, these bills will lower the cost of doing business in America, freeing companies to hire more workers.  Our country’s current rulemaking process is decades old and has become an outdated model in a globalized economy.  With increased competition from countries that enjoy far fewer regulations on businesses, America has been put at a disadvantage, costing us jobs and economic growth.  House Republicans are continuing to fix our obsolete regulatory system by passing legislation to reduce these onerous regulations in order to create jobs right here in America.