[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 26, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              GOVERNMENT IS ALWAYS THERE WHEN IT NEEDS YOU

  (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, today I call to your attention a study 
released yesterday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce regarding the 
effects of Federal regulations on business.
  The results are overwhelming.
  One in six survey respondents reported having to lay off employees in 
order to offset the cost of Federal regulation compliance like the 
minimum wage, OSHA, and environmental laws.
  Only 1 in 10 respondents said they had ever learned about a new 
Federal regulation from the agency that enacted it. In other words, 
``We'll come up with whatever we want, and it's your job to find out 
what that is.''
  Forty-four percent of the respondents who currently do not offer 
employee benefit plans said they would if Federal regulations were not 
so confusing.
  Madam Speaker, I commend the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for conducting 
this study and I look forward to working with them and other Members of 
this body to get some commonsense reform to our heavy-handed regulatory 
process.
  Some regulation is necessary but we have carried it to ridiculous 
levels. It is time for a change, Madam Speaker. It is time to unleash 
the potential of our economic system to create a better life for 
American workers.

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