Don Nickles: “clearly, the American people believe that Washington has too much control over their everyday lives. They attribute much…”

“clearly, the American people believe that Washington has too much control over their everyday lives. They attribute much of this to a Federal bureaucracy that has grown out of control over the last several decades. Today, the Senate will take a major step toward holding regulatory agencies accountable for the rulemakings they issue. In an effort to return common sense to Federal regulations, we are sending to the President legislation which will provide a formal Congressional review process of regulations issued by Federal agencies. The Congressional Review Act before us is similar to S. 219, the Regulatory Transition Act that passed the Senate 100-0 a year ago this week. I fully concur with changes made by the House to the Senate bill and believe this represents a workable consensus agreement. It is estimated that the direct cost to the public and private sectors complying with Federal regulations was $668 billion in 1995. This translates into a cost of $6,000 annually for the average American household. This means higher prices for the cars we drive, the houses we live in, and the food we consume. It also means diminished wages, increased taxes, and reduced government services. The Congressional Review Act provides for a 60-day review period following the issuance of any Federal agency final rule during which the Congress may enact a joint resolution of disapproval, under a fast-track procedure in the Senate.”