WASHINGTON – Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement after the House, in a bipartisan vote, passed the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act (H.R. 4078), of which he is the lead sponsor:
“Hardworking Americans deserve a regulatory system that doesn’t hamstring their ability to invest, hire and grow. Yet Arkansas job creators have repeatedly told me how excessive and overly burdensome regulations have prevented them from hiring more employees and growing the economy. With America’s unemployment rate above 8 percent for 41 straight months and counting, even President Obama has admitted that ‘unnecessary or too costly’ regulations are ‘placing unreasonable burdens on business [and having] a chilling effect on growth and jobs.’ He’s identified the problem, and by passing the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act, the House has provided the solution.”
More than 140 state and national organizations support H.R. 4078, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business, as well as the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas and the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. A full list of supporting organizations is below.
H.R. 4078 would put a moratorium on new regulations that would cost the economy $100 million or more until the unemployment rate falls to six percent or below, but makes exceptions for federal rules necessary for national security, trade agreements, enforcement of criminal and civil rights laws, and imminent threats to health or safety. It also allows the President to seek congressional approval for other regulations he believes are absolutely critical.
In its first three years, the Obama Administration created 120 new major regulations that cost Americans more than $46 billion every year. That’s more than four times the number and five times the cost of major regulations created by the Bush Administration in its first three years. In a cover story entitled “Over-regulated America,” The Economist magazine noted that, given the increase in regulations, “It’s a wonder the jobless rate isn’t even higher than it is.”
The federal government’s Small Business Administration estimates that current regulations already cost $1.75 trillion every year and add $10,585 in overhead per employee. In the February 2012 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, nearly half of small business owners who are not hiring cited government regulations as the reason. Another poll found that 74 percent of registered voters think there are too many pending regulations, and 63 percent think federal regulations are hurting, not helping, small businesses. In a recent National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) survey, small business owners named “taxes” and “government regulation and red tape” among the most serious problems they face.
An analysis by the American Action Forum found H.R. 4078 could save at least 2,700 jobs, 2.6 million paperwork hours and $22.1 billion in compliance costs.
H.R. 4078 includes several additional pro-jobs, anti-red tape provisions which:
- Prevent outgoing presidents from issuing economically significant regulations at the last minute (H.R. 4607)
- Increase transparency and judicial scrutiny of sue-and-settle litigation (H.R. 3862)
- Require the Federal Communications Commission and the National Labor Relations Board to comply with the same regulatory review requirements as other agencies (H.R. 373)
- Streamline the federal permitting process for major infrastructure projects (H.R. 4377)
- Require both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to conduct more thorough cost-benefit analyses of proposed regulations (H.R. 2308 and H.R. 1840)
Supporting organizations:
60 Plus Association
Agricultural Retailers Association
Airlines for America
American Architectural Manufacturers Association
American Bakers Association
American Beverage Association
American Coatings Association
American Composites Manufacturers Association
American Council of Engineering Companies of California
American Forest & Paper Association
American Foundry Society
American Home Furnishings Alliance
American Iron and Steel Institute
American Loggers Council
American Petroleum Institute
American Supply Association
American Wholesale Marketers Association
Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Arizona-New Mexico Cable Communications Association
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. – Illinois Chapter
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. – Nevada Chapter
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. – Pelican Chapter (LA)
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. – Rhode Island Chapter
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. – Rocky Mountain Chapter (CO)
Associated General Contractors of America
Associated Wire Rope Fabricators
Association of Commerce and Industry of New Mexico
Association of Washington Business
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
Bay City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture (TX)
Blair County Chamber of Commerce (PA)
Brick Industry Association
Campbell County Chamber of Commerce (WY)
Carolina Food Industry Council
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce (NV)
Construction Industry Round Table
Consumer Data Industry Association
Consumer Electronics Association
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Council of Industrial Boiler Owners
Electronic Retailing Association
Forging Industry Association
Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce (KS)
Gases and Welding Distributors Association
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce (MN)
Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce (TX)
Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce (IN)
Greater Sandoval County Chamber of Commerce (NM)
Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce (VA)
Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC (PA)
Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce (MN)
Heating, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International
Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce (WV)
Indiana Manufacturers Association
Industrial Fasteners Institute
Industrial Minerals Association – North America
Industrial Supply Association
International Foodservice Distributors Association
International Sign Association
ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association
Johnson City Chamber of Commerce (TN)
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce (MT)
Kansas Chamber of Commerce
Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association
Laredo Chamber of Commerce (TX)
Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce (AR)
Louisiana Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc.
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce (KY)
Manufacturer & Business Association
Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
McAllen Chamber of Commerce (TX)
Metals Service Center Institute
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
Motorcycle Industry Council
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (SC)
National Association of Chemical Distributors
National Association of Electrical Distributors
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Club Association
National Council of Chain Restaurants
National Federation of Independent Business
National Glass Association
National Grain and Feed Association
National Grocers Association
National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association
National Marine Distributors Association
National Marine Manufacturers Association
National Mining Association
National Parking Association
National Poultry & Food Distributors Association
National Roofing Contractors Association
National RV Dealers Association
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
National Tooling and Machining Association
National Utility Contractors Association
National Wooden Pallet and Container Association
Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society
North American Die Casting Association
North American Equipment Dealers Association
North Carolina Chamber of Commerce
North Carolina Retail Merchants Association
North Country Chamber of Commerce (NY)
Nuclear Energy Institute
Ohio Society of CPAs
Outdoor Amusement Business Association, Inc.
Outdoor Power Equipment and Engine Service Association
Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce (CA)
Precision Machined Products Association
Precision Metalforming Association
Printing Industries of America
Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce (IL)
Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce (DE)
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce (MN)
Rowan County Chamber of Commerce (NC)
SC Timber Producers Association
Shipbuilders Council Of America
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
South Carolina Retail Association
South Shore Chamber of Commerce (MA)
SouthWestern Equipment Dealers Association
SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association
St. Joseph Metro Chamber (MO)
TechAmerica
Texas Association of Business
Textile Rental Services Association
The Council for Responsible Nutrition
The Fertilizer Institute
Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce (AZ)
Tulsa Metro Chamber (OK)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
United Fresh Produce Association
Utah Restaurant Association
Window & Door Dealers Alliance
Window and Door Manufacturers Association
Wisconsin Grocers Association
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
Wisconsin Small Businesses United
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