Malcolm Wallop: “if we have the potential for those thousands and thousands of lawsuits, maybe it tells us something about what we are…”

“if we have the potential for those thousands and thousands of lawsuits, maybe it tells us something about what we are doing. I would say to my friend from Ohio that this administration in the past year has put out the third largest number of regulations in the history of our country. The previous two records having been held by Jimmy Carter. That is not a record that matches the rhetoric. But I would say that this Government, of which you are part of the majority, has already considered this in the National Performance Review. Let me say it is always interesting that an administration can summon, on demand, a new level of opposition even from someone who has just given his or her blessing. I speak in particular of the Small Business Administration. Administrator Bowles is obviously doing somebody's bidding that does not reflect his own view. Because in response to a question by Senator Mack during his confirmation hearing asking 'What changes do you believe need to be taken to strengthen the regulatory flexibility act?' the answer was, 'Imposition of judicial review would strengthen the act by ensuring a Federal agency failure to comply would be answerable in the courts. In addition, the RFA must be clarified to ensure that agencies examine, indirect as well as direct impacts on small businesses.'”