On the recordMarch 2, 2011
Mr. President, I rise today to speak again about President Obama's January 18 Executive order that directed all Federal agencies within the administration to review or repeal those significant regulatory actions that are duplicative, overly burdensome, or would have a significant economic impact on ordinary Americans. The President went on to say--I am paraphrasing from his words--they are costly, they are duplicative, in many cases they aren't necessary, we need to review them, and in some cases, actually, they are stupid. That is a direct quote from the President. I am paraphrasing, but he did say the word 'stupid.' Probably 'stupid' would be the word, or maybe 'egregious' or 'fed up' that almost any group or any organization back home would use when you visit with them. I would walk into a group--any organization, be it farmers, ranchers, educators, health care, whatever--and they would say: Pat, what on Earth are you doing back there, passing all these regulations, a wave of regulations that do not make common sense and do not fit the yardstick, if you will, of cost and benefit? We can't even wake up any morning without some new regulation popping up across the desk, and we just don't have the people to do this. You are about to put us out of business.
Said by
Kevin Roberts