Jason Smith: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 367, the REINS Act of 2013. As a member of the…”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 367, the REINS Act of 2013. As a member of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and a cosponsor, I am pleased to see a good reform bill like REINS come to the floor. Regulations impose hundreds of billions of dollars--in fact, trillions of dollars--on family farmers and small businesses, which significantly affect our economy and job creation in southeast Missouri. Businesses and individuals face an uncertain regulatory future, and this gives them pause as they seek to start or grow their businesses to encourage economic growth and create jobs. The REINS bill adds just a little more certainty to the process. It allows these individuals to hear about regulations and give input to Congress before they vote up or down on an agency rule. As I travel across Missouri, I always run into business owners, family farmers, and individuals who have felt the sting of government and their overreach, with the over 170,000 pages of rules and regulations affecting their lives. The ``pie in the sky'' regulations here in D.C. have real effects back home. The voice of the American people through their elected representatives should be the determining factor in government regulation, not that of a beltway bureaucrat. I urge adoption of the REINS Act.”