Letter supporting H.R. 4078, the “Regulatory Freeze for Jobs Act of 2012"
The Honorable Tim Griffin
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Griffin:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, supports H.R. 4078, the “Regulatory Freeze for Jobs Act of 2012,” as an important tool to rein in an out of control regulatory bureaucracy. This bill would prevent the largest, most costly new regulations from going final and harming our economy until the national unemployment rate improves significantly, thereby highlighting the inverse relationship between regulatory burden and job creation.
Regulations are a necessary part of a complex society. But an unbalanced federal regulatory process has led to an unprecedented increase in major, economically significant regulations, some of which are harming the economy and inhibiting job creation. These regulations also threaten to erode the carefully calibrated constitutional system of checks and balances that is the foundation for the American system of government. Hastily written regulations coming out in the health care, environmental, and financial arenas are issued with little apparent regard for the dramatic impact they will have on employers, and their ability to grow their businesses and hire more employees. These economically significant rules have a chilling effect on the entire U.S. economy.
The Chamber believes that excessive regulatory burdens are not compatible with economic prosperity or job creation. H.R. 4078 would allow the thousands of minor, non-controversial regulations that “keep the lights on” to move forward, while placing an important check on the relatively small number of economically significant regulations that impact the business community’s ability to compete. It would also provide judicial review so that agencies can be held accountable if they fail to comply with the requirements of this bill.
The Chamber supports H.R. 4078, and applauds you for your leadership on this important issue.
Sincerely,
R. Bruce Josten
cc: The Honorable Howard Coble, U.S. House of Representatives