House Passes Red Tape Reduction Small Business Jobs Bill

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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