Getting Back to Work; Removing Red Tape

Senator Johanns

September 6, 2011

The American economy hoped for some relief and a much-needed boost of confidence after President Obama signed an Executive Order in January directing every federal agency to review their regulations which have smothered businesses and inhibited job growth across the country. The federal government must avoid putting "unreasonable burdens on business," the President stated, and vowed to make eliminating red tape "the operating principle of our government." As Congress returns to work this week, I'm making it a top priority to peel back obstructive regulations and getting people back to work.

Fortunately, we saw a glimmer of hope when the White House announced last week – 228 days after issuing the Executive Order – the postponement of an onerous smog regulation until 2013. This is great news that will save jobs, but it remains to be seen whether there's more to come or if this is just an exception to a rule of red tape. Several regulations costing the economy over a billion dollars each continue to move forward.
Even as the Administration last week pledged to cut $10 billion in regulatory costs over the next ten years, that pledge was shrouded by reports that it had proposed over $9.5 billion of new regulatory costs in July alone. To date, the Administration has proposed more than 54,000 pages in regulations in 2011, adding more than $69 billion in costs onto our job creators, and thus all Americans who earn a paycheck or buy domestically-produced goods and services.

This is not to say we shouldn't be concerned about environmental protection, but the Administration, ignoring the will of Congress, has moved forward with seemingly little concern for how these rules will immediately impact the economy. There seems to be no consideration for the importance of positively balancing environmental progress with improving the economy, maintaining good American jobs, holding down consumers' electricity costs, or helping to keep American-made products competitive.

These regulations, new and old, become all the more indicting when you consider how long our economy has been stuck in neutral. Last Friday, the August jobs report released by the Labor Department revealed our economy gained no net jobs throughout the month, with the unemployment rate holding at 9.1 percent – more than double that of Nebraska's. Clearly, the words and actions of the White House are not working.

With the Senate coming back into session this week, it's time to make a serious effort toward relieving American businesses from this red tape. I will be pursuing legislation that would put a two-year moratorium on additional federal regulations from the Obama Administration. The time for idle talk is over. Our economy needs a boost, and it begins with removing the red tape that's been inhibiting economic growth. Alleviating these regulatory burdens will give our businesses room to develop and expand; bolster their employees' paychecks; and enable much-needed job creation across the country.