Michelle Fischbach: “We are here today to debate the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 357 and H.R. 1147. It provides a structured…”

“We are here today to debate the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 357 and H.R. 1147. It provides a structured rule for H.R. 1147 and makes in order bipartisan and Republican amendments, provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and provides one motion to recommit. The rule further provides for consideration of H.R. 357 under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the Committee on the Judiciary and one motion to recommit. Under our Constitution, those who make the laws are accountable to those who elect them. Career Federal employees are not beholden to the voters of this Nation, and yet unelected bureaucrats across the Federal agencies--in one case in particular, a single low-level career employee--have been making thousands of rules that impact this country's voters and taxpayers. According to a recent Pacific Legal Foundation study, career employees and unconfirmed officials issued over 70 percent of the rules at the Department of Health and Human Services between 2001 and 2017. These rules have economic impacts on the people of this country, just as the laws we pass in this Chamber do, yet we are accountable to the voters who elect us. Federal employees are accountable to no one.…”