03/29/2024

Rep. Robert Pittenger

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By: Congressman Robert Pittenger

Too many hardworking Americans can’t find good jobs, or they’re forced to accept part-time work when they need full-time. Too often, Washington bureaucrats are to blame.

Every year, regulations dreamed up in Washington cost hardworking American families billions of dollars. In 2014, federal regulations cost American consumers and businesses a combined $1.88 trillion, or roughly $15,000 per household! The Code of Federal Regulations weighs in at over 178,000 pages and contains more than 1 million restrictions. Under President Obama, regulations directly impacted the loss of over 85,700 jobs . . . that’s four times the population of Lumberton, jobless.

No wonder local small business owners are struggling to grow and create jobs.

We need to restore economic freedom and create a healthy economy. This week, I helped pass the SCRUB Act (H.R. 998, the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act), which establishes a Regulatory Review Commission to protect American businesses from obsolete, ineffective, and costly regulations, which will help Congress repeal the regulations harming the economy.

To help cut down on the maddening maze of paperwork and lawyers, this week I also helped pass the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act (H.R. 1009). Right now, bureaucrats create new regulations with little thought to whether or not those new regulations conflict with or duplicate existing regulations. This common sense legislation will reduce contradictory regulations, require legitimate problems be addressed in the most cost-effective and least burdensome way, and require bureaucrats to gather input from local, state, and tribal governments, as well as hardworking Americans, on how proposed regulations will impact jobs and the community.

Finally, this week the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Regulatory Integrity Act (H.R. 1004), which will require greater transparency in how federal agencies communicate about proposed regulations. In place of inaccessible bureaucratic language, our bill requires a common sense description of the regulation, it’s current status, and public communication on proposed regulations be posted online for all to see.

Under President Obama, America saw the slowest economic recovery since World War Two. Mammoth regulatory bills, including Obamacare and the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, strangled businesses and made it harder to create jobs. You deserve better, and House Republicans are working with President Trump to turn the ship around. These three bills probably won’t make the news, but they are important steps in restoring a healthy economy and keeping our promises to the American people.

Regulatory reform is vital to jumpstarting our economy, creating good jobs, and raising wages. As your voice in Congress, I will continue fighting to bring good jobs back to the hardworking people of our community.

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Tuesday night’s Presidential Address to a Joint Session was an extraordinary night for America. President Trump laid out a strong vision to secure America and prioritize efforts to rebuild our economy.

Tax reform, immigration reform, health care reform, and regulatory reform will be the cornerstone of creating massive new jobs and economic growth. Along with my Congressional colleagues, I am committed to working with President Trump on your behalf.

After a week of significant steps to reduce unnecessary regulations, Congress will now turn its attention toward reforming the tax code and repairing America’s healthcare system. We all must go into this recognizing the opportunity is here, it’s now, and it’s urgent for the American people. We covet your involvement. We covet your prayers as we work together to change the course of this country.

Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) is Chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance, and serves on the House Financial Services Committee, with a special focus on supporting small businesses, community banks, and credit unions.

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