U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., a likely U.S. Senate candidate in 2016, teamed up with a conservative South Carolina Republican this week to crack down on federal regulations.
Murphy paired up with U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., to introduce the Regulatory Improvement Act on Tuesday. Murphys and Mulvaneys bill would create the Regulatory Improvement Commission (RIC) to present recommendations to Congress on what regulations can be eliminated. Under the bill, the president and congressional leaders would turn to businesses and civic organizations to sit on the RIC. Both congressmen pointed to a study from the
Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) which showed the Federal Code of Regulations, up to169,301 pages in 2011, has increased 138 percent over the last four decades.
"There is bipartisan agreement that federal government regulations are overly burdensome and stunting economic growth in this country," Murphy said on Tuesday. "We can combine safeguarding consumers with responsible regulatory reform if members of both parties can agree on a path forward. The Regulatory Improvement Act sets that plan in motion with an independent commission tasked with identifying outdated and duplicative regulatory barriers. Members of both parties, in the House and Senate, are committed to building a 21st-century regulatory system that supports clean air and water alongside a robust economy and positive job growth for this country. I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues on this important issue."
Over the years, lawmakers have created regulations with good intention, but many of them are duplicative and even outdated, Mulvaney said. It makes perfect sense to have an independent commission review and eliminate such regulations. This is an easy one for Democrats and Republicans alike, and I'm proud to have worked with Rep. Murphy on this bill.
Last week, U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Angus King, I-Maine, Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., introduced a companion bill in the Senate. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) and PPI are behind the bill.
The measure has almost 15 co-sponsors in the House so far, including Florida Republican U.S. Reps. David Jolly and Ted Yoho. Murphy and Mulvaney introduced a similar bill last year which was sent to theHouse Rules Committee and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee where it did not see the light of day.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
