Rep. Miller: Reducing Red Tape for Stronger Job Creation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) today praised the House-passed H.R.4078, the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act.  This legislation is a combination of bills aimed at cutting government red tape in order to make it easier for small businesses to create jobs.  H.R.4078 would impose a moratorium on any new regulation, save for health and emergency, until unemployment drops below six percent nationally.  H.R.4078 would reform the regulatory process, improve transparency, and streamline permitting for projects.  Rep. Miller said:

“Over the last couple of years we have seen a massive increase in regulations and government red tape being imposed on our job creators which raises costs and makes it nearly impossible to create the jobs we need in this difficult economy.  As a result far too often instead of being able to focus on growing their businesses, serving their customers and creating jobs, employers must focus on the red tape put forward by government bureaucrats.  I have heard the same message from job creators across my district in every industry from manufacturing, to construction, to health care, and agriculture which is – get the government off our backs so we can get this economy moving again. 

“In response to concerns from employers in my district I was proud to vote today in favor of legislation to reform the federal regulatory process, improve transparency, and streamline permitting for projects – in short to cut out the government red tape.  We have been squarely focused on giving our businesses the tools they need to add jobs in America and will continue to support dozens of jobs bills which have already passed the House to further our efforts of cutting the excessive red tape holding back small businesses.  The Senate also needs to swiftly pass this measure and send it to the President so we can help our economy grow.”

Note: H.R.4078 would place a moratorium on all new “significant” federal regulations from being proposed, advanced, or finalized until the national unemployment rate falls to six percent or lower.  Significant regulations are those that have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more, interfere with another agency action, alter the budget impact of entitlements, grants, user fees, or loan programs, or raise novel legal or policy issues.  According to the Small Business Administration, regulations cost the U.S. economy $1.75 trillion annually.  If the Obama Administration maintains its current pace, it would add nearly $150 billion in new annual regulatory costs over eight years. 
• H.R. 4078 would stop the Administration from implementing the proposed the upcoming update to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards from the Environmental Protection Agency.  By model year 2025, automakers will be required to have achieved a fleet-wide mile per gallon average equivalent to 54.5 mpg, a huge increase over the current standards.  While the Obama Administration claims that this will reduce overall costs for consumers, more analysis is clearly required to fully ascertain the economic impact that such a rule would have on the domestic auto industry.

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