Hensarling Floor Statement in Support of REINS Act
WASHINGTON – House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) delivered the following remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives today in support of H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, as part of the House Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators.
“Mr. Chairman, it was just a few weeks ago that our nation celebrated Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, in the Obama economy, millions could not give thanks for having a job. In the Obama economy, employment remains mired at, near, or above 9 percent. In the Obama economy, one in seven are on food stamps. In the Obama economy, we’ve seen the fewest small business start-ups in 17 years. And that’s why, Mr. Chairman, jobs are job number one for House Republicans.
“That’s why our jobs bills have been passed, but unfortunately, 25 of them are stacked up like cordwood in the Democratic-controlled Senate. After today, it will be 26, because one of the most important pro-jobs bills is on the floor today, the REINS Act.
“Mr. Chairman whether I’m speaking to Fortune 50 CEOs out of Dallas, Texas where I reside, or small business people in east Texas that I have the privilege of representing in this body. They all tell me the same thing: the number one impediment to jobs today is the federal regulatory burden.
“I hear from them each and every day. I heard from the Grasch family in the Fifth District of Texas: ‘As a small business, I have to bring in an additional thousand dollars a month to break even.’ He’s talking about his regulatory burden: ‘This is while consumers have less money to purchase my services. I will not invest in any further expansion, and therefore not hiring, until smarter policies are being conveyed from Washington.’
“I hear from the Rossa family, also in the Fifth District, who talk about the regulatory burden from the president’s health care plan: ‘My company has laid off all staff and I myself will file for unemployment on Monday. That’s about 23 people added to the unemployment rolls next week.’ Again, due to federal regulation.
“I heard from the Nixon family in the Fifth District of Texas: ‘We are giving up this part of our business. … one person is losing their job … this is a small example of how excessive government regulation is stifling business.’
“It’s the number one impediment, and all we are asking today with the REINS Act, is that if a regulation is going to cost our economy jobs, if it’s going to cost $100 million or more, let’s have Congressional approval. It’s common sense. It forces accountability. It simply weighs the benefits of a regulation to be balanced with the cost to our own jobs. Jobs ought to be number one in this House, and the number one jobs bill we can pass is the REINS Act. I ask for once that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle join me and let’s put America back to work.”
###
For additional information, contact:
House Republican Conference Press Office (conferencepress@mail.house.gov)
