Joel Hefley: “today I call to your attention a study released yesterday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce regarding the effects of…”

“today I call to your attention a study released yesterday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce regarding the effects of Federal regulations on business. The results are overwhelming. One in six survey respondents reported having to lay off employees in order to offset the cost of Federal regulation compliance like the minimum wage, OSHA, and environmental laws. Only 1 in 10 respondents said they had ever learned about a new Federal regulation from the agency that enacted it. In other words, ``We'll come up with whatever we want, and it's your job to find out what that is.'' Forty-four percent of the respondents who currently do not offer employee benefit plans said they would if Federal regulations were not so confusing. Madam Speaker, I commend the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for conducting this study and I look forward to working with them and other Members of this body to get some commonsense reform to our heavy-handed regulatory process. Some regulation is necessary but we have carried it to ridiculous levels. It is time for a change, Madam Speaker. It is time to unleash the potential of our economic system to create a better life for American workers.”