Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I, like my colleague from Georgia, appreciate what the Senator from Louisiana has done in this bill. He has worked to…”

“I, like my colleague from Georgia, appreciate what the Senator from Louisiana has done in this bill. He has worked to try to make it a good bill. But I am concerned if we raise the threshold that there might be people in that $50 to $100 million category--cities, towns, maybe counties, maybe school districts or water districts, some of our smaller entities--that really might not have the protection of the good science, of the peer review, the ability to have cost-benefit analysis and risk analysis. I think what this bill does is so important to provide the basis upon which people will know out in the open what the effects of these regulations are, and it will have the effect, of course, of making the regulators think very carefully before they do these regulations. Passing this bill in itself is going to have an effect on regulators in making sure that they know exactly what they are doing as they affect the small businesses of our country or, indeed, the local taxpayers of our country. So I join with my colleagues in saying that I think it is very important that we not leave that $50 to $100 million range. In fact, I have to say if it were my choice, I would not have a range at all that was a floor. I would have from zero because I think no matter what the regulation is, if it affects your business or your small town or your water district, this is going to make a difference in the way you are able to provide jobs or serve your taxpayers.”