[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19101-19102]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           SUPPORT REINS ACT AND GOP REGULATORY REFORM AGENDA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Smith) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today about 
the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny, or the REINS, 
Act.
  This bill, which I have cosponsored, restores accountability to the 
regulatory process by requiring an up-or-down vote in Congress and the 
President's signature on any new major rule before it is enforced on 
the American people.
  Over-regulation, Mr. Speaker, is devastating our economy and 
hindering job growth. Of the current administration's new regulations, 
200 are expected to cost more than $100 million each. Seven of those 
new regulations, however, will cost the economy more than $1 billion 
each. At the current pace, the current regulatory burden for 2011 alone 
will exceed $105 billion.
  And the Federal Government has created more than 81.9 million hours' 
worth of paperwork this year alone, costing employers $80 billion just 
in compliance. It's no wonder a recent Gallup Poll found small business 
owners citing ``complying with government regulations'' as ``the most 
important problem'' they face.
  Nebraskans have not been immune to the reams of red tape being handed 
down by Federal regulators. Just yesterday it was reported the city of 
Grand Island, Nebraska, population 51,000, will be saddled with a $3.2 
million compliance cost due to a new Federal emissions regulation. This 
EPA Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was finalized June 1 and will be 
enforced January 1.
  But this is only one example. There are additional, even more costly 
rules and unworkable timelines coming down the pike, all of which mean 
a much longer winter for Americans struggling with high energy costs.
  But it doesn't stop there. Recently, the Department of Labor proposed 
a misguided rule which would restrict youth involvement in agriculture 
work. Yes, Mr. Speaker, anything from milking cows and feeding calves 
to hauling and detassling corn would come under fire under the 
Department's current rule.
  Everyone agrees the safety of these young people and workers 
everywhere is of the utmost importance; but by allowing such heavy-
handed thoughtless regulation, we're greatly restricting opportunities 
for rural youth. These jobs, often seasonal, teach young people 
responsibility and the value of hard work; and they're able to earn a 
little spending money in the process.
  I'm also a proud cosponsor of the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act 
of 2011, H.R. 1633, which the House is slated to consider later this 
week. This bill would prevent the EPA from regulating farm dust, or the 
type of dust which naturally occurs in rural areas.
  Farmers and ranchers already are subject to strict Federal and State 
regulations to control dust. It makes no sense for the EPA to impose 
costlier requirements on top of the existing standards. While the EPA 
has backed off without legislative action, nothing certainly prohibits 
the agency from regulating farm dust in the future.
  During a time of economic hardship, keeping the door open for 
additional regulatory overreach is not the answer. Actually, I'm often 
reminded of a meeting I had in southeastern Nebraska with 
representatives from a Federal agency, good people they are. One of 
them said it had been more than 20 years since he'd ridden on a gravel 
road.
  For me, this meeting certainly emphasized the disconnect between 
Washington and rural America. These are only a few examples of the 
regulatory burden and uncertainty facing Nebraskans who recognize 
economic growth ultimately depends on job creators, not regulators.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support commonsense regulatory reforms like the REINS Act.
  This is yet another step towards increased accountability, improving 
the regulatory process, and providing certainty for job creators in my 
home State of Nebraska and in States all across this country.

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