Prove It Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 7198, the Prove It Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation to protect small businesses from the burdens of Federal regulations.

I was proud to join Congressman Finstad and Congresswoman Caraveo in introducing this bill and to vote for it in the House Judiciary Committee.

This legislation puts teeth into the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which has been discussed today. In 1980, it required Federal agencies to take into consideration the direct and indirect impacts of their regulations on small and family businesses, but it is not being enforced today.

Effectively, there is no recourse to those businesses under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which is why, in more than 75 percent of the cases, these new regulations actually completely ignore that Regulatory Flexibility Act or put a de minimis amount attached to the impact on small businesses.

We need teeth to that 1980 Regulatory Flexibility Act, and the Prove It Act will do just that. It will change what has not been done in the past, and it will restore power to small businesses today to push back against new regulations.

Today, small businesses pay seven times more per employee than medium-sized businesses to stay compliant with Federal regulations. They don't have the resources to keep pace with the ever-growing burdens imposed by the heavy hand of the government.

I am amazed that I am hearing from the opposition words like ``delay,'' ``burden,'' and ``uncertainty'' as it relates to the Federal Government. I am more concerned with the delays, burden, uncertainty, and inadequate resources that exist for small businesses to respond to these new regulations.

Federal agencies seem to ignore the reality and harm that these regulations cause, which only further discourages American innovation and small business growth.

The Prove It Act empowers small businesses to petition the Small Business Administration to review proposed Federal regulations and gives them the tools to challenge unnecessary regulation imposed upon them, which they do not have today. It brings more accountability and transparency to the work of government agencies and reaffirms our commitment to stand with small business.

If we are going to stand on the side of government or small business, I choose to stand on the side of small business. Small businesses are, in fact, the backbone of our economy, and their innovation keeps the spirit of the American Dream alive.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation to support the crucial role small businesses play as drivers of economic growth and job creation. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7198, the Prove It Act.

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