On the recordDecember 7, 2011
I thank the chairman. I also want to thank Congressman Davis of Kentucky for his great leadership on this important legislation. While our small business owners are focused on meeting payroll, and their employees are working hard making products and delivering for customers, unelected bureaucrats in Washington are putting in overtime coming up with new rules and regulations. In 2010 alone, the Federal Government issued 3,200 new regulations and rules. That's roughly nine rules per day. Complying with all these regulations costs small business owners, as was mentioned, an estimated $10,500 per employee each year. At a time when we are trying to create jobs, we need to have better accountability and transparency in Congress for the regulatory burdens the Federal Government places on businesses as we try to rejuvenate our economy. The REINS Act is a commonsense measure that would do just that, giving workers and small business owners and others a voice in the process of approving regulations that will ultimately affect their jobs, their families, and their communities. This legislation would make sure that job creators don't have to worry about unelected bureaucrats imposing regulations on them without the approval of their elected Representatives. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
