Source: PRESS RELEASE, 12/1/11

Saying regulatory reform “will not block the flow of regulation, but will guide it” on a path that will spur economic development, U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) today voted for legislation to update the nation’s massive set of rules and regulations. Congressman Coble, speaking on the House floor, stated that government regulations “must be effective and efficient or they can do more harm than good.”

The House approved the Regulatory Flexibility Improvement Act (H.R. 527) by a vote of 263-159. Rep. Coble, a cosponsor of the legislation, voted in favor of H.R. 527. Below is Congressman Coble’s floor statement during today’s debate on the bill:
“My district is no different than many others. We’re still suffering from the recession and while we once claimed many manufacturing and producing distinctions, much of our manufacturing has either disappeared or gone to other places.

“Bad regulations don’t help matters – they create unnecessary costs, uncertainty for employers and do not improve public health or safety, and they are particularly burdensome for small businesses. Two critical laws that help ensure regulators will take into account the impact of proposed regulations on small businesses are the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act.

“In essence, these laws require agencies to conduct economic impact analysis of proposed rules on small businesses. Unfortunately, regulators routinely utilize waivers and exceptions from both laws and promulgate regulations without taking into account their economic impact on small businesses. The Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act do not block the flow of federal regulation, they help guide it. We need regulations, and small businesses need regulations, but the regulations must be effective and efficient or they can do more harm than good.

“H.R. 527 will improve future regulations by requiring agencies to conduct economic impact analysis of proposed regulations on small businesses before they are implemented. In doing so, it will enhance the basic requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act and extend the advocacy review panel requirements to all agencies, including all of the independent agencies.

“The Administrative Procedures Act was not intended to create a regime whereby executive agencies could implement regulations without recourse. Unfortunately, there are countless situations where agencies have implement rules and regulations that are unnecessary, redundant or unjustifiably costly. H.R. 527 will help ensure that agencies do not overlook the critical interests of small businesses and help prevent agencies from promulgating wasteful regulations.

“Finally, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that H.R. 527 will cost 80 million dollars between 2012 and 2016. Although there may not be a quantifiable means to assess the benefits of H.R. 527, from the perspective of a small business they are priceless. Also, it is important to note that among many others, the National Taxpayers Union, the National Association of Independent Business, the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers have endorsed H.R. 527. H.R. 527 is critical for small businesses and will not impede the ability of agencies to promulgate regulations. This is good government legislation. We do not need more regulations; we need better regulations, which is exactly what H.R. 527 will achieve.”