Xavier Becerra: “Mr. Speaker, let me rise in opposition to H.R. 3136 and mention that, along with some of the Members who have spoken…”

“Mr. Speaker, let me rise in opposition to H.R. 3136 and mention that, along with some of the Members who have spoken earlier, I, too, believe that this bill will ultimately be found constitutional if it is signed into law. I also note with curiosity that we made the line-item veto effective after the term of the current President, Bill Clinton, has expired, and I think that is somewhat questionable as to why this Congress, under the new majority, has decided not to allow this particular President the opportunity to exercise a line-item veto if they are so adamantly for it. But let me mention something that I find extremely disturbing in this particular bill, which I cannot understand why it is even in here, and that is the whole issue of regulatory reform. I do not think there is any Member of Congress who does not wish to see regulatory flexibility and decreasing the burden on small business so long as we provide protections to the environment, to workers, and to people, our consumers. But, disturbingly, this bill commits an end run on the whole issue of regulatory reform because what it does is it provides, in this particular piece of legislation, through an amendment which I must say just came to us last night, which amends this bill which came to us just 2 days ago, the whole structure used to regulate agencies and regulate businesses out there in this country.”