Cliff Stearns Set to Go After Obama Administration on Regulations

Look for some fireworks on Wednesday when Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns calls a session of the subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, part of the full Energy and Commerce Committee. Stearns, who chairs the subcommittee, will be taking testimony from Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew on the administrations take on regulatory reform.

The health care law alone is creating more than 150 new federal agencies, and this administrations other legislative priorities would entail a massive growth in government, said Stearns. As a result of the health care law, federal agencies have promulgated more than 1,000 pages of new rules. Susan Dudley, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the previous administration, stated that the Obama administrations regulatory agenda identifies some 4,000 rules under development.

I am concerned that new and existing regulations may prevent investments, business expansion, and job growth at a time when all these activities are critical to reinvigorating the economy, continued Stearns. We have promised the American people that we will carefully review any regulation that threatens to cost our economy $100 million or more. The fact that we have to limit it to $100 million or more underscores the vast number of regulations.