Senators Introduce Legislation to Reduce Onerous Government Regulations on Job Creators
Press Release
Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) introduced a bill to reduce excessive unfunded government mandates on job creators, giving them greater freedom to invest in their companies and hire new workers.
"At a time when American employers are struggling to expand and create good-paying jobs, the federal government should not be imposing unnecessary costs on the private sector," said Portman. "As we continue through the weakest economic recovery since the Great Depression, we should be pursuing policies that make it easier, not harder to hire. This legislation will help job creators compete globally rather than be held back by stifling government mandates."
"Businesses across the nation continue to struggle under the heavy weight of the federal government," said Crapo. "Removing the tremendous burdens placed on job creators and strengthening policies that encourage, not stifle, innovation is key to the kind of economic restoration our country needs. Federal mandates are too often imposed without careful consideration of the negative economic consequences. This measure promotes more comprehensive decision-making and will cut down on excessive regulations by requiring federal agencies to fully evaluate the costs and benefits associated with any proposal."
The legislation would strengthen the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), for which Portman was a lead co-sponsor in the 104th Congress. UMRA was a bipartisan effort to prevent Congress and federal regulators from blindly imposing major economic burdens on the private sector and on state, local and tribal governments without weighing the costs and benefits.
Among other measures, the legislation would require agencies to specifically assess the potential effects of new regulation on job creation or job loss; consider market-based and non-government alternatives to regulation; require agencies to choose the least burdensome regulatory option that achieves the policy goal set out by Congress; extend UMRA to independent agencies; and permit courts to review an agency's economic impact analysis under UMRA.
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