Destroying Unnecessary, Misaligned, and Prohibitive Red Tape Act
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4305, the Destroying Unnecessary, Misaligned, and Prohibitive Red Tape Act, or the DUMP Red Tape Act. While H.R. 4305 is less objectionable than the other anti- regulatory bills, it is simply not necessary.
To begin with, a deregulatory hotline already exists on regulations.gov. Establishing another creates duplication and drains SBA resources. Isn't this contrary to everything Republicans, the administration, and the recently dissolved DOGE effort tried to prevent, duplicity?
More concerning, the proposal hasn't been vetted properly. In the first 100-day report, the Office of Advocacy indicated there were 96 small business submissions and, more recently, reported there were 301 submissions. Yet, despite repeated requests for more information, the Office of Advocacy has failed to provide any specific information about this request to the committee--Democrats and Republicans.
We have no way of knowing if the submissions are related to rules. They could have easily been about tariffs or unpaid invoices to contractors.
To the best of my knowledge, the Office of Advocacy has not weighed in with the administration, which raises concern over its lack of independence from the administration.
Turning to the specifics, the bill lacks adequate reporting mechanisms to identify who is making the submissions, leaving it vulnerable to abuse and unable to differentiate between a small business, trade organization, or law firm. The bill focuses on the costs of regulations, not the benefits, which greatly outweigh the costs.
For these reasons, I oppose the bill. It is important to note that I said to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that if we can get information from the Office of Advocacy as to what small businesses are actually submitting and the mechanics of the hotline to ensure independence, I would be willing to work with them. Instead, the bill is being rammed through the House to score political points.
I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill and focus on real solutions to lift up small businesses during these troubling economic times.
Mr. Speaker, small businesses are being crushed by the Trump tariffs, and the SBA Office of Advocacy, to the best of my knowledge, has not conveyed their concerns to the White House.
The Office of Advocacy is supposed to be an independent office within the SBA, and it is responsible for advancing the views and concerns of small businesses before Congress, the White House, Federal agencies, the Federal courts, and State and local policymakers, but it has done nothing on tariffs. That is particularly troubling to me and should be equally troubling to my friends on the other side of the aisle.
Instead of helping small businesses that are being crushed by the Trump tariffs, the majority is focused on creating another deregulatory hotline, even though one already exists on regulations.gov. This bill to codify a hotline at the SBA Office of Advocacy is duplicative, unnecessary, and a waste of taxpayers' dollars.
The system is clearly broken. For years, the chairman and ranking member of the Small Business Committee have had a strong tradition of working together to find common ground. That cooperation was essential in helping entrepreneurs launch and grow their small businesses. It is exactly what we are losing now.
We are wasting valuable time today on bills that are unnecessary, divisive, and a waste of taxpayers' dollars.
Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues are focused on regulatory bills that will not help small businesses one iota, while allowing the authorization for critical, vital counseling and training programs to lapse. It doesn't make sense. Small businesses deserve better than slogans over substance.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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