Greg Gianforte: “I thank the gentleman from Texas, particularly for reminding us of the need to rebalance and reclaim our Article I…”

“I thank the gentleman from Texas, particularly for reminding us of the need to rebalance and reclaim our Article I authority from the runaway bureaucracy that we have here in Washington. Madam Speaker, we started the Government Efficiency Accountability and Reform Task Force for one simple reason: only 17 percent of Americans today say they can trust the government in Washington. We have to get the government working for the people again. Madam Speaker, I was in Billings, Montana, and a gentleman who has been drilling natural gas wells for 30 years told me a story. He said 30 years ago when he wanted a permit to drill a well, he would go into the field with a clipboard, a single piece of paper, and a ballpoint pen. He would fill out that application. The government official would review it in the field and say: That will be all right. Today, Madam Speaker, that same form is 48 pages long, requires an engineer and a lawyer to fill it out, tens of thousands of dollars, and months to process. Clearly, we can do better. Our three branches of government have drifted from their original purpose to cultivating a culture of waste. That is why we have produced this playbook of 100 commonsense, nonpartisan solutions for efficiency, accountability, and reform of our Federal Government.…”