Gibbs: Holding regulators accountable to the American people
WASHINGTON, DC – Taking action to ensure Washington bureaucrats are held accountable, the House passed legislation today increasing transparency in the regulatory process. H.R. 5226, the Regulatory Integrity Act, requires executive branch agencies to create a publicly available, easily searchable system that lists pending regulations and rules before they are finalized.
H.R. 5226 also requires agencies to post public comments, announce the consideration of alternatives or whether they are soliciting public feedback while the proposed regulation is being considered. Additionally, agencies may not solicit support for a regulatory action.
After last year’s revelation that the Environmental Protection Agency broke federal anti-lobbying laws by improperly using social media tools to promote the Waters of the United States rule, Congressional oversight and efforts to rein in regulatory overreach have been a goal of Congressman Bob Gibbs.
“As I wrote earlier this year, the consequences of an out-of-control bureaucracy are not immediately obvious,” said Gibbs. “The American people are tired of seeing their energy and grocery bills eating up more of their monthly pay as we are all forced to comply with burdensome government mandates. They deserve transparency and the ability to see the process bureaucrats use to write and approve regulations that affect their lives.”
According to a study conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers, complying with federal regulations costs the American economy nearly $2 trillion annually. Further ideas on how to reform the regulatory state have been proposed in the House Republican Better Way Agenda.
Category: Government
