Source: US HOUSE AG COMMITTEE, 1/11/17

Congressman Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., today made the following remarks on the floor of the House in support of the Peterson Amendment to the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 (H.R. 5). Both the amendment and underlying bill were adopted by the House.

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the amendment. This amendment will prohibit federal agencies from using taxpayer dollars to advocate on behalf of a rule or generate comments to overwhelm the record with one point of view. 

“A GAO report documents how the EPA created a campaign to generate comments in support of the Waters of the U.S., or WOTUS, rule. This is not how government, or the rulemaking process, is supposed to work.

“The comment period should be a time for agencies to hear from the public about what’s good, what’s bad or what needs to be fixed with a proposed rule. In my opinion, agencies too often take laws passed by Congress and turn them into something unrecognizable. 

“That is why this amendment is needed and has the support of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the National Association of Home Builders, among others.

“This is a common-sense amendment that will improve the bill. I urge my colleagues to vote in support and reserve the balance of my time.”