John Tierney: “I had come down here hoping to engage in a high-level debate. I am a little disappointed to see the cynicism and…”

“I had come down here hoping to engage in a high-level debate. I am a little disappointed to see the cynicism and skepticism creep in, and there is some sort of contest here about who is most in love with America's small businesses. I suspect all of us appreciate and acknowledge the importance of America's small businesses. My colleague who just spoke is not the only Member of Congress who is a small business person, nor is it unique among our colleagues here to have a small business experience in their past before they came to this body. So I would hope we start with the assumption that all of us are here intending to do what is best, not just for small businesses, but for America and for our population, including our consumers, and including all of us who have a concern about the environment and law enforcement, and all of the other agencies that are involved in making our quality of life at a high level, or as high a level as possible. I rise in opposition to this bill, having been somebody who has a long experience with small business and with their regulatory affairs, having represented numerous small businesses as they dealt with regulations and their application. But I look at this bill, Madam Chairman, and I see it has some good points and it has some deficiencies.”