Trent Lott: “Federal bureaucrats issued thousands of new rules and regulations last year, adding billions to the regulatory costs…”

“Federal bureaucrats issued thousands of new rules and regulations last year, adding billions to the regulatory costs already imposed on American businesses and the economy. Whether you realize it or not, almost every aspect of our daily existence is regulated in some way by the government. That is not to say that the government should not regulate when it's necessary to protect human health and the environment. However, we would all agree that there are reasonable limits to how much protection we really need. For instance, cars are dangerous vehicles. If not properly operated, they can cause serious injury or death. It is certainly acceptable for the government to issue regulations ensuring that a vehicle is able to withstand anticipated impacts. But should we outlaw cars simply because improper operation can lead to death? Of course not. We all can see that the benefits of being able to drive a car far outweigh any risk of death. Mr. President, how do we separate true risks from inflated risks? How do we parcel out real problems from those created by fear or misinformation? How do we rank risks so that we attend to the most pressing ones first? I believe that the solution is to strengthen the risk assessment portion of the current federal law. It is about time that federal agencies focused on finding solutions to problems that present real risks, risks that are based on sound science.”