Mike Thompson: “today I am introducing the ``Regulatory Right-to-Know Act of 1999.'' I am pleased that Senator Breaux and Majority…”

“today I am introducing the ``Regulatory Right-to-Know Act of 1999.'' I am pleased that Senator Breaux and Majority Leader Lott have joined me in this effort. Our goals are to promote the public's right to know about the benefits and costs of regulatory programs; to increase the accountability of government to the people it serves; and ultimately, to improve the quality of our regulatory programs. This legislation will help us assess what benefits our regulatory programs are delivering, at what cost, and help us understand what we need to do to improve them. By any measure, the burdens of Federal regulation are enormous. By some estimates, Federal regulation costs about $700 billion per year, or $7,000 for the average American household. I hear concerns about unnecessary regulatory burdens and red tape from people all across the country and from all walks of life--small business owners, governors and local officials, farmers, corporate leaders, government reformers, school board members and parents. There is strong public support for sensible regulations that can help ensure cleaner water, quality products, safer workplaces, reliable economic markets, and the like. But there is substantial evidence that the current regulatory system is missing important opportunities to deliver greater benefits at less cost.”