Political Quotes

“This amendment would require agencies to report on their efforts to coordinate with State, local, and tribal governments throughout the regulatory process. I agree that it is important that State, local, and tribal governments are properly included in the regulatory process. The amendment, however, simply adds new requirements without addressing the flaws in the underlying bill. The amendment fails to address the fact that this bill does not exclude independent agencies from its coverage. Congress designed independent agencies to be just that, independent. The amendment fails to include an offset for the additional $20 million in administrative costs that this bill will likely cost Federal agencies. The amendment also fails to insert a provision into the bill to ensure that OIRA reviews do not contradict existing laws. The amendment also fails to mandate a specific timeframe within which OIRA must complete its review. The amendment simply does nothing to improve the numerous deficiencies in this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.”