Jim Inhofe: “what we have been talking about today is a very significant thing. It is something that we are concerned about to the…”

“what we have been talking about today is a very significant thing. It is something that we are concerned about to the extent that those of us who ran for reelection last time can tell you that this is on the minds of the American people, not just large and small businesses but individuals as well. This issue is probably the most critical issue to come before the Congress in the minds of the American public. It will redesign the regulatory process of the Federal Government. One of the distinctions, for those of us who have served in both bodies, that is most noticeable is that over here on this side you only run every 6 years. The drawback to that is you sometimes lose contact with what people are thinking. For those of us who went through an election, Mr. President, this last time, I can assure you there are two mandates that went with that election which have to be ranked No. 1 and No. 2, and I am not sure in which order they would be. One, of course, is doing something about the deficit, and the other is doing something about the abusive bureaucracy and the overregulation that we find in our lives. I have had this fortified since the election in that I have had 77 townhall meetings since January, and it always comes up.”