Political Quotes

“I commend the Assistant Republican leader for offering this substitute to S. 4. Senator Simpson's substitute is the real National Competitiveness Act. The underlying bill, S. 4, is really the Picking Favorites and Industrial Policy Act. Business enterprises in America want to compete, innovate, and create jobs. The biggest threat to their competitiveness, and therefore, America's competitiveness, is that the Federal Government will hobble them before they even make it into the world marketplace. There are many excellent provisions in the Simpson substitute. I note, particularly, language that originated with my Idaho colleague, Senator Kempthorne, providing exemptions from strict enforcement of the letter of the law when blind enforcement would punish heroic acts. That's pure common sense, but OSHA tried to fine an Idaho contractor when workers rushed to save the life of a coworker buried in a collapsing trench and ignored some OSHA technical requirements in the process. That's what the Simpson substitute is all about: A commonsense understanding of how Government excess can stifle competitiveness and destroy jobs. I want to speak in particular to the reforms that the substitute would make to the outdated Davis-Bacon Act of 1931.”