| Weekly Update from Sam |
Dear Friends,
On Thursday, my House colleagues and I took steps to ensure family farms and small agriculture businesses are protected from more burdensome Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards by passing the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011 (H.R. 1633). This bipartisan bill prohibits the EPA from regulating farm dust that is already regulated at the local and/or state level.
With our economy struggling to rebound from the downturn, now is not the time to saddle small agriculture producers with higher costs and onerous regulations that could drive them out of business. Last month, our Committee examined this issue and the ramifications it would cause for these businesses.
Although EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has announced the EPA plans to retain the current standard— the EPA still has the authority to change it at any time. However, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act would make sure this does not happen, while providing family farms and small agriculture businesses with the certainty they need to do business instead of worrying about more futile regulations.
Sam Graves
Chairman
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Latest Committee Action
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On Monday, December 12th, Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access Chairman Joe Walsh (R-IL) will hold a field hearing to examine how the uncertainty facing small business owners is contributing to the jobs crisis. The subcommittee will hear from local businesses regarding these concerns and listen to their recommendations on how the federal government could promote a business climate that could be more conducive to job creation.
On Thursday, December 15th, the Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations, chaired by Mike Coffman (R-CO), will hold a hearing to examine new Medical Loss Ratios and their affect on jobs. Some have argued that the MLR requirements, created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, will ensure that customers receive the most value for their premium dollars. Insurance agents, many of whom are small business owners and whose customers are often small businesses, believe that the MLR requirements may lead to lower levels of customer service and consolidation in the industry. |
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Notables
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Small Business Owners Want Washington to REIN in Regulations
By Chairman Sam Graves
Graves Discusses Questionable Government Contract on CNN’s AC360
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News From Washington
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| On Wednesday, the House approved the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2011 (H.R. 10), by a vote of 241-184. This bill would require Congress to affirmatively approve every new major regulation proposed by the executive branch before it can be enforced. Last year, 100 major rules were finalized by the Executive Branch. The bill would also require the approval resolution to move through Congress within 70 legislative days to ensure there is certainty in the process and regulations do not linger.
On Thursday, as noted above, the House passed the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011 (H.R. 1633) by a vote of 268-150. This legislation would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating farm dust that is already regulated at the local and/or state level. The bill would also limit federal regulation of nuisance dust by EPA to areas in which it is not regulated under state, tribal, or local law, where the nuisance dust causes substantial adverse effects, and the benefits of federal regulation outweigh the costs.
The aforementioned bills mark a total of 26 pro-growth, pro-jobs bills that the House has sent to the Senate this year. Unfortunately, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has refused to bring them up for a vote. Onerous regulations place costly and, oftentimes, unmanageable burdens on the backs of small business owners, which prevent many from hiring additional employees and even force some to close. That is why House Republicans have passed these bills that will protect our best job creators- small businesses- from the avalanche of regulations coming out of the administration. If we want to get our economy back on track and put people back to work, we must be serious about regulatory reform.
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| December 9, 2011 |
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