On the recordJanuary 11, 2017
I thank the gentleman for his amendment. Title III of the bill contains important reforms to make sure agencies finally take seriously Congress' directive to write rules with flexible accommodations for small businesses, the source of most of our Nation's job creation. Congress' demands for flexibility began with the Regulatory Accountability Act during the 1980s, but agencies have never fully complied. One of the key ways agencies have skirted the law's requirements has been to certify their way out of any need to actually provide flexibility by finding that a proposed or final rule will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. This amendment puts the brakes on an inadequately substantiated certification by requiring certifications to include economic assessment details sufficient to support the certifications. I support the amendment.
